McDonald's Holdings Co. Japan said Monday its operating profit for the first quarter jumped 79 percent to 3.01 billion yen, as it lured back customers by opening many outlets earlier and making operational improvements.
During the three months ending in March, sales from its 3,759 outlets, including franchisees nationwide, rose 7 percent to 105.19 billion yen.
After-tax profit more than tripled -- from 560 million yen to 1.92 billion yen -- due to the absence of a large one-time loss booked in the same period a year earlier.
Sales at stores open at least 13 months -- a closely watched benchmark of the chain's performance -- grew 6.9 percent in the quarter, marking continuous growth over six consecutive quarters.
The company said a mix of measures -- opening most of its stores earlier at 6:30 am and improving quality, service and cleanliness -- have proved effective in bringing back customers.
"There is no single special magic," Eiko Harada, chief executive of McDonald's Japan told a news conference.