The results of the turnaround strategy were dramatic. By 1982, KFC had become Heublein's fastest growing division, with real growth of 2.3 percent. From 1978 to 1982, sales at company-owned stores jumped an average 73 percent, while franchise unit sales rose by almost 45 percent. Much of this growth came from KFC's international operations where company units outnumbered even McDonald's outside the United States. While chicken is eaten almost everywhere in the world, the same is not true of beef which has been poorly received in many countries. This provided KFC with a considerable advantage in penetrating foreign markets. Nowhere was this more true than in the Pacific Rim, where by 1982, KFC had nearly 400 in Japan In Singapore alone, KFC had 23 franchised stores.