McDonald's Japan said on Friday it aims to create the framework of a new food business by October and has begun talks with one or two domestic companies on possible partnerships.

Eikoh Harada, chief executive of McDonald's Holdings Co. (Japan), just under half-owned by McDonald's Corp., also said the company aims to open a test store of the new business, by the end of this year.

McDonald's Japan, which has some 3,800 outlets in Japan or nearly 13 percent of all McDonald's outlets worldwide, said in April it would start planning a new food business and seek one or more partners to make better use of stores with low sales.

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