CHENGDU - Famous Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao will start tapping overseas markets next year by opening two restaurants each in the United States and Singapore, the company announced Friday.

The always-packed restaurant chain, known for its friendly and attentive service, will open its first overseas restaurant in the US next year, said a staff member of the company based in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

The company did not disclose which cities the future restaurants would be in, however, it said they would not be located in China towns or Chinese communities but in major commercial districts, as the restaurants will be targeting the mainstream market, said a staff member who wished to remain anonymous.

Haidilao has already set up an overseas management department, prepared advertising materials and is working on the menu and decoration of the overseas restaurants.

Dining at the future US Haidilao restaurants will cost about $40 to $50 per person, higher than the average meal fee of $20 to $30 per person at most Chinese restaurants in America, according to a report in Friday's China Business News.

The hot pot chain was established in 1994 and has more than 50 restaurants with over 10,000 employees in more than nine Chinese cities. The company's revenue reached 1.5 billion yuan ($238 million) in 2010, according to its website.