Fast food in China from past to present

GUO GEPING, founder and director of China Chain Store and Franchise Association.

What do you think makes KFC bigger than McDonald's in China?

KFC arrived five years earlier in Beijing, which is very important. Besides, I think chicken was more "Chinese" than hamburgers during those early days. Chicken is also cheaper than beef here in China and KFC is generally cheaper than McDonald's - this makes it easier for them to penetrate the smaller cities.

Was KFC the first chain restaurant on the Chinese mainland?

Definitely. Before KFC there was no such thing as a chain store. If you told a businessman that you wanted to develop your business into a chain during the 1980s or even early 1990s, they would have no idea what you're talking about. The success of KFC in China has provided a prototype for the country's restaurateurs and other businesses to learn from. Meanwhile, it has also helped to set up benchmarks, standards and even the whole fast food industry.

Traditionally, restaurant businesses in China refer to mom-and-pop shops. The owner sources his ingredients directly from markets, which is still the way many small eateries operate today in the country. But in Japan, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant is backed up by a very strong supply chain. It's more than accurate to say that McDonald's and KFC have built the food supply chain of China and reshaped the landscape of the country's restaurant business.

Do you think KFC and McDonald's have lost their edge in China?

In terms of size, they are still far ahead of other restaurant chains. In the top 100 rankings for the revenue of chain businesses in China in 2016, KFC and McDonald's were the only restaurant brands on the list. KFC was 9th and McDonald's was 26th. Together with Starbucks, the three players account for about one-third of the restaurant chain business in China.

In terms of popularity, the reasons people dine out today could be very different from decades ago. Before, there was only one reason: such foods were a special treat.

Today, the motivations could vary from not wanting to cook to people looking for a social and business meeting location. You could say that KFC and McDonald's have returned to their roots in China - being fast and convenient instead of being a luxurious and exotic dining experience.

email.address.here