China is recruiting catering service providers from home and abroad for the Shanghai World Expo, the biggest in history which is due to open May 1, 2010.

A total of 14 caterers, including the world famous brands such as Starbucks, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, have been solicited as the first batch. Another 62 companies would be recruited as the second batch by July, organizers said Wednesday.

The 62 catering service providers to be solicited will be deployed in an area of nearly 40,000 square meters, around half of the total area of 78,000 sq m tailored to catering services for the Expo.

The area set aside for the 14 first-batch caterers is 15,775 sq m. The recruitment work for them began in December 2008 and ended Tuesday.

Organizers required that each catering service provider should have more than 500,000 yuan (about 75,000 U.S. dollars) in registered capital and an annual sales income of at least 2 million yuan.

But the organizers did not reveal how many catering service providers would be needed in total for the event.

Catering services will cover fast food of both Chinese and western styles, take-away, restaurants, tea houses, cafes and beer bars.

Among the catering service areas, the largest one, dubbed the World Food Court, will cover an area of 3,500 sq m. It will also have shopping and entertainment functions.

Gourment food from France, Italy, Britain, China, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and the Republic of Korea will be provided at the World Food Court.

The organizers predict that approximately 400,000 people will visit the Shanghai World Expo every day, 70 percent of whom will eat at the site.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2009)