(Bloomberg) -- Tim Hortons, the Canadian coffee and doughnut chain, plans to open more than 1,500 restaurants in China through a master franchise agreement with Cartesian Capital Group.

The companies will establish the locations throughout China over the next 10 years, Tim Hortons said Wednesday.

“We have two main priorities at Tim Hortons: building and strengthening our brand in Canada; and expanding our iconic Canadian brand to the rest of the world,” the chain’s President, Alex Macedo, said in a statement. “China’s population and vibrant economy represent an excellent growth opportunity for Tim Hortons in the coming years.

China may provide a boost for a brand that has struggled in recent quarters amid disputes between parent Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Canadian franchisees. Restaurant Brands wants to boost Tim Hortons’ sales by remodeling locations and revamping the menu with more espresso and lunch offerings. Last April, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Schwartz acknowledged results at Tim Horton’s “were a little softer than we would have liked.”

In 2012, Cartesian teamed up with Restaurant Brands to bring the Burger King brand to China, where there are more than 900 outlets of the fast-food burger chain.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lisa Wolfson in Boston at lwolfson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anne Riley Moffat at ariley17@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Roeder

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