"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere," goes the song about New York. Think about what it means to "make it" in China, with its huge and growing middle class. Take, for example, the MYDO pie chain. MYDO meat pies are everywhere in Zibo -- in street stalls, in food courts and here at campus. For a few yuan, you can get a hot meat pie, a very handy fast food, in a variety of flavors. Including squid, which we don't recommend, although we like squid in general and we have learned how to say "squid" in Chinese. To digress, the only Chinese we're picking up and remembering is food words, which tells you something.
I got to wondering -- is this Mydo pie chain, founded only nine years ago, all over China? And if so, how many franchise outlets are we talking about? What kind of revenue? According to their website, they are not to be found in every province yet. But one thing I find interesting about the Mydo pie chain is that you can set one up in a tiny space, even a street cart. I hope this means it's a great boot-strap investment for an aspiring entrepreneur. But think of what the total revenue would be for these little pies if there are thousands of outlets selling them.
Then there are Chinese brands and stores you probably haven't heard of. Like, Marisfrolg. This is a high end clothing chain. Or JSEN and RUCK.
I got to wondering -- is this Mydo pie chain, founded only nine years ago, all over China? And if so, how many franchise outlets are we talking about? What kind of revenue? According to their website, they are not to be found in every province yet. But one thing I find interesting about the Mydo pie chain is that you can set one up in a tiny space, even a street cart. I hope this means it's a great boot-strap investment for an aspiring entrepreneur. But think of what the total revenue would be for these little pies if there are thousands of outlets selling them.
Then there are Chinese brands and stores you probably haven't heard of. Like, Marisfrolg. This is a high end clothing chain. Or JSEN and RUCK.
There are plenty of Chinese fast food chains around town. In fact when I first arrived with my Western-centric attitudes, I was surprised at how many chains there are. (Look at that, they've figured out how to franchise!) The store lower left is a noodle place. Aisin, the Japanese noodle chain, has delicious food but at our local mall you've got to walk past the giant naked sumo wrestler butt to get to your table.
But -- did you know that there are now more KFC outlets in China than there are in the United States? Probably some other retail or food outlets have either accomplished this feat or are on the verge of doing so. The market is enormous and growing. This means that the gravitational pull for these chains is going to be to the East, because that's where the largest market and revenue is. If you are a success in China, then you are indeed a success.
KFC menus in China are more innovative, too -- they serve roast chicken with rice and vegetables and this wicked little number, below left, a half-and-half chicken and shrimp sandwich. And behold this breakfast sandwich made with puff pastry. Pure food porn.
KFC menus in China are more innovative, too -- they serve roast chicken with rice and vegetables and this wicked little number, below left, a half-and-half chicken and shrimp sandwich. And behold this breakfast sandwich made with puff pastry. Pure food porn.
There are also well-known American chains in China. Leading the pack is KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. As I've mentioned before, Ross and I are not the kind of foreigners to shun Chinese restaurants in favor of the familiar hamburgers and pizza. Although when this young writer spent a year teaching in a Chinese city, his visit to KFC for Thanksgiving was -- for reasons that escape me -- such a Big Deal that The Atlantic magazine published his reminiscence.
Last summer, we often visited the KFC for an iced coffee. You can get an iced coffee for ten yuan, less than half what they charge at Starbucks. Also, when we're travelling, we know we can get a Western breakfast and a coffee at a KFC.
Last summer, we often visited the KFC for an iced coffee. You can get an iced coffee for ten yuan, less than half what they charge at Starbucks. Also, when we're travelling, we know we can get a Western breakfast and a coffee at a KFC.
Also, the Chinese KFCs offer home or office delivery by bicycle courier. I like this picture. Everybody is so happy, even the guy delivering the chicken. {Update: note this was written when DoorDash was a thing unknown in the West. I never thought that personal delivery services would be a thing in the West.]
{Sometime I'll do another blog post about how delightfully over-the-top some Chinese advertising is -- how utterly blissed out the models are with their food or their dishwashing detergent -- and there's an ad for waffles that you've got to see to believe.}
Not surprisingly, KFC is at the front ranks in the Culture Wars between those who fear and resent Western influence in China.
And just the other day, KFC filed suit against three companies which they said, were behind a social media gossip campaign against KFC chicken. The online gossip was that KFC was selling mutated chickens with eight legs, which apparently would be off-putting to some people.
For us, the reliable sameness of a chain restaurant is a comforting thing for those times when you just want some reliable sameness.
{Sometime I'll do another blog post about how delightfully over-the-top some Chinese advertising is -- how utterly blissed out the models are with their food or their dishwashing detergent -- and there's an ad for waffles that you've got to see to believe.}
Not surprisingly, KFC is at the front ranks in the Culture Wars between those who fear and resent Western influence in China.
And just the other day, KFC filed suit against three companies which they said, were behind a social media gossip campaign against KFC chicken. The online gossip was that KFC was selling mutated chickens with eight legs, which apparently would be off-putting to some people.
For us, the reliable sameness of a chain restaurant is a comforting thing for those times when you just want some reliable sameness.
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