Since setting up the first McDonald's in Shenzhen, China in 1990, the Western restaurant chain
has been expanding steadily across the country. Normally, Chinese cuisine has a very rich,
diverse and specific culinary taste so it’s a little surprising that McDonald’s is
as popular as it is amongst the Chinese people. It’s no surprise that it is usually the
first place expats go to eat since it's the closest thing to what feels like home when
you land in China. Although McD's has some competition with KFC because they are the
two top grossing fast food chains in China, McD's Golden Arches has become recognizable
from far. So here are the top 10 reasons why China loves McDonald’s.
Mickey D’s is Fast
As we know McDonald's is a popular fast-food chain and as characterized in the name, the
food is fast. The fact that its fast means its a time saver and that is an appealing
part of fast food for those living a fast-paced modern day lifestyle. This is even more true
for the younger generation in China, including teenagers and young adults. McDonald's offers
food that the Chinese enjoy and it's quick! Offering them an efficient way to eat without
wasting any time waiting in long lineups to get seated or needing to choose from a vast
menu, choices, choices, choices! One thing the Chinese value is saving time and efficiency.
This is because it’s highly important for them to devote as much energy as they can
into their work so that they can focus on increasing their wages and being a valuable
member of their society. Busy fast paced work is part of their everyday life, some even
live at their work! Fast and convenient food is something they appreciate and opt for,
so Mickey D's here they come.
Food Quality at McDonald’s
McDonald’s consistently makes the same quality of delicious burgers, crispy french fries,
chicken nuggets and ice creams. Consistency with food resonates with people and is in
popular demand in China. When you walk up to those glowing arches you know what you'll
be getting even before you walk through the doors, people like that. The McD's menu here
has been adapted to include foods and flavors for local tastes to satisfy customers. Smart
move for McD's to create recipes according to the Chinese taste and keeping the food
consistent and good tasting because it makes it more marketable in China. As Chinese consumers
earn more discretionary income, they want and seek out the quality, brand, convenience
and service associated with Western brands. They’ve done a good job at filling a niche for those
wanting appetizing food at decent prices in a clean, inviting atmosphere.
McDonald’s is Cheap
We are all familiar with the saying you are what you eat so don't eat food that's easy,
fast and cheap but in China it’s the opposite. They want to eat food that's easy, fast and
cheap just not FAKE! Not everyone's salaries in China allow them to enjoy luxurious Western
products or restaurants so the fact that McDonald's is cheap means people love it! Mickey D's
offers reasonable pricing for their menu items and cheaper than most Western restaurants
in the cities. Not only is it Western and a brand they trust but they can afford to
go there to get a Big Mac with curly fries or a teriyaki chicken rice bowl with a bubble
tea. It is very similar in price compared to what you can get for lunch or dinner if
you were to go for traditional Chinese food. The cost of a hamburger is around 12 yuan, 7 for
fries, and a drink costs about 8 or 9 yuan. You can get a meal combo for about 40 yuan
which would include a burger, fries, drink and a side like corn or fried chicken. Whereas
rice or noodle, dishes will cost anywhere from 20-40 yuan per dish depending on where
you go. But if you go for traditional hot pot in China you can spend up to 80 yuan per
person. So, in some ways Mickey D's can be the cheaper option but it all depends on what
the Chinese are craving that day and people are also willing to spend a bit more in these
fast food restaurants than their local ones because of the general concern for food safety
that seems to be becoming increasingly important to a relatively large portion of the population.
Free Wifi & Phone Charging at McDonald's
As a population that is dependent and glued to their phones, wifi and phone chargers are
important! The fact that there are free wifi and smartphone charging options at McDonald's
has increased their popularity. Many people are addicted to mobile phones but the rate
at which smartphones are increasingly occupying people's time in China is continuously growing.
This is because you can use your phone there for just about everything! Communication with
friends and family, paying rent, ordering groceries, paying for your order at Mickey
D's and just about anything else you can think of! According to a 2017 survey of China's
mobile phone users, it was reported that social apps are most frequently used. The stats were
high, to say the least, ninety-three percent of respondents admitted that they use WeChat
daily, 77 percent use QQ regularly and 56 percent use Weibo daily as well. You know
people are addicted to their phone in China when the subway repeats messages like "for
your safety, we would like to remind you to not to pay attention to your phone as you’re
walking". Needless to say, if there's free wifi, you can charge your phone and eat all
at the same time, it's the ultimate 3 in 1 combo and yes we would like fries with that!
McDonald's Food Makes People Want To Eat
It started with plain old curiosity and sooner than later the popularization of fast food
restaurants like McDonald's in China turned into a habit. But the Ronald McDonald brand
realized that they need to adapt to this culture and made food that’s just as good and addictive
as the American stuff but adapted to the local taste too. This localization of a Western
brand has made fast food eaters in China feel like they are part of a bigger community while
also enjoying their regional tastes. Mickey D's makes the food taste as good as they
can for as little cost to get people coming back for more and more. When the well known
golden arches started to get the reputation as 'unhealthy,' they revamped their menu,
added in a salad line and customized to local tastes. They included things like rice dishes,
corn on the side or coleslaw to make themselves "healthier". So, because McDonald's is
extremely responsive to their customers wants and needs their food and service has people
coming back for more on the regular. Not only that but they have also gained the trust of
the Chinese people as a restaurant that they can receive legitimate food from.
The McDonald's Franchise Business Model
McDonald’s has spread its golden arches through China not by selling addictive burgers
and sprinkling fairy dust but by selling franchises! This strategy plays a major role in the company’s global
success, especially in China. The franchise-type business helps the company achieve rapid growth
and it also helps them to outrun their competitors like KFC. McDonald’s operational capability
and current management have made it a popular investment in China. McDonald’s strategizes
with this and always hires local managers, who understand the needs and wishes of local
people. Since the population is highly concentrated across all of China from Beijing to Guangzhou
and Shanghai they have been very proficient at securing prime real estate in these cities.
The brand has over 2,400 locations across the country. Getting locations popping up
in these popular and highly populated cities gets them more exposure, more traffic and
therefore continuously increasing the McD's business. In China, US franchises have a lot
of potential because they bring a complete business system, management processes, job
training and Western demands. Another thing about China is the cities are divided into
tiers; first, second and third-tier cities. First-tier cities are very developed, business-friendly,
and have many internationally standard amenities but real estate costs are very high for these
reasons. These cities are generally where McDonald's sets up shop. Second-tier cities
have millions of potential consumers and have lower labour and real estate costs. These
second-tier, as well as third-tier cities, are open to franchising! This gives good old
Mickey D's a huge advantage and adds to our point how this western brand is cheap or reasonably
priced enough where almost anyone can come in for a meal.
The McDonald's Children's Paradise
As we all know McDonald's is quite kid friendly and they love to head over to Mickey D's to
get a free toy with their happy meal. From Minions to Hello Kitty the Chinese children
love the extra treat they get with their meal that is endless fun during their visit. Each
McDonald’s location in Beijing has fun and special places just for kids called "children’s
paradise". This is a play space that has a giant playground with different equipment
and serves almost as a type of schoolyard. It’s a place where children can enjoy other
children before or after their meals or a place to come interact after school. China
has over 300 million young people and McDonald’s is appealing to them through their reference
to education as well as space where they can spend quality family time. For education,
McDonald's also sponsors essay competitions and awards for academic achievements in China.
Not only that but they also host outdoor events with the Ronald McDonald clown and fun activities!
Sounds like McDonald's is too cool for school!
Green Tea Matcha Ice Cream at McDonald's
China specializes in eating strange snacks, junk food and street food. They are also known
as traditional tea drinkers, especially green tea! In the last couple of decades, they’ve
also been experimenting with Asian flavor versions of well known Western Brands like
Oreos and Lays. It’s not uncommon to find wasabi, green tea or weird meat flavors of
these Western brands and the McDonald's ice cream options are one of them! They love their
green tea as a traditionally tea-drinking culture so naturally, they love the flavor.
Mickey D's in China introduced the Matcha cone, Matcha McFlurry with mini Oreos and
a Matcha Sundae, needless to say, they are a big hit! McDonald's has 242 ice cream suppliers
that help them cater ice cream flavors based on location and most of them are located in
Asia. The top suppliers are from China, Malaysia and Latvia. You can find this "matcha green
tea flavor" all over McD's in Asia and on a hot day you can see a crowd of Chinese people
in McDonald's or at their walk-up window ordering their favourite ice cream!
Chinese McDonald’s Slogan
The slogan at Mickey D's in China says "Get together at McDonald’s, enjoy the happiness
of family life". So naturally, it invites the locals in just by reading the inviting
slogan. Since they value spending quality time with their loved ones and this is a Western
brand they trust, they believe it is a good place for their family to get together. McDonald's
also gives them the option of dining in or taking out. One thing the Chinese like about
Western food chains is the amount of seating available if they want to dine in. If they
want take out or to order its fairly simple, easy and cheap. The golden arches have become
as recognizable in China as they have in the States. Western brands are highly sought
after and many Chinese consumers perceive Western brands as providing quality, convenience,
and customer service. This is something the Chinese look for in their food, especially
when feeding the whole family.
The Crazy Menu Items
If you’ve ever eaten a bacon double burger at Mickey D’s and thought it was missing
something, maybe the perfect add on was just a layer of mashed potatoes?! As part of their
"Manly Man" campaign in 2012, McDonald’s China gave that a go and well, China loved
it! Who wouldn’t want to try a burger with two beef patties, bacon, and mashed potatoes? McDonald’s
China also added one of their newest menu items, the bacon mac and cheese sandwich!
Yes, you heard that right, hot and gooey macaroni and cheese with bacon sandwiched between grill-pressed
bread. McDonald's restaurants get their great inspiration from combining different cuisines
into their American style food but surely they also do it to get you to grab your passport
and go try the fun menu items across the world. Let's not forget to mention the pineapple,
taro and red bean pies available in McD's China. Taro and red bean are very popular
dessert flavors and taro is also a famous bubble tea flavor. Taro is very similar to
a potato so it is referred to as the "potato of the tropics" and loved in dessert items
because of its nutty flavor and overall sweetness. Then there's the flavor that will have you
expecting chocolate but its actually red bean! The history of these red beans refers to them
as love beans, because they are sweet and hearty. They also offer a burger with a grilled
pineapple slice and curly fries on the side. Last but not least, they also have bubble
teas at all McDonald's locations, that's right you can get a fruity or milk bubble tea with
your meal combo! As we mentioned, China specializes in strange snacks and specific tastes in their
food and McD's has offered them a combination of Western and Chinese food and drinks!
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