Fast food in China
Western fast food reshaped Chinese dining and urban culture.
Western-style fast food arrived in mainland China relatively recently. The first KFC opened in Beijing in November 1987, and its immediate popularity set a standard that many local Chinese restaurants later copied. However, the earliest Western fast food in China actually appeared much earlier, in 1906, when a shop called Yili's Fast Food Shop opened in Beijing.
China's rapid economic growth and increasing global trade changed how people ate, shifting many from traditional diets toward Westernized food. This shift has been linked to rising obesity and chronic disease. The fast-food industry expanded quickly over the past two decades, alongside obesity rates. Pizza Hut and McDonald's launched in China in September and October 1990, respectively, three years after KFC entered the mainland. The first McDonald's, in Shenzhen, was supplied from Hong Kong from 1990 to 1992. By the time Beijing got its first McDonald's in 1992, the mainland had built the infrastructure to supply its own restaurants. As of 2022, KFC operates about 8,600 outlets across more than 850 Chinese cities, while Pizza Hut has over 2,800 restaurants.
KFC, known locally as 肯德基, was extraordinarily successful in China, breaking several world records early on. Its first Beijing restaurant, which opened in November 1987, had 500 seats—making it the largest fast-food restaurant in the world. In 1988, it fried 2,200 chickens daily and earned more than any other KFC location, with a turnover of 14 million yuan. By 1994, KFC had opened 28 restaurants across China, seven of them in Beijing.
KFC quickly discovered that children were a key audience. Chinese parents often had no preference for a specific fast-food chain and let their kids decide. To appeal to children, KFC changed its logo in 1995: the bearded elderly man that Chinese children disliked was replaced with a playful cartoon character named Chicky. The chain also added play areas, child-height sinks, smaller furniture, and birthday party settings—a new concept in China at the time. These efforts helped KFC position itself as a fun, exciting place for kids.
Competition with local fried-chicken restaurants was fierce. The KFC in Dongsi sits across from a Chinese restaurant called Glorious China Chicken, which offers cheaper prices, larger portions, rice, soup, vegetables, and even draught beer. Yet KFC consistently draws more customers, ma
- First KFC in mainland China
- November 1987, Beijing
- First McDonald's in mainland China
- 1990, Shenzhen
- KFC outlets as of 2022
- about 8,600 in more than 850 cities
- Pizza Hut restaurants in China as of 202
- over 2,800
- Largest McDonald's in the world opened
- April 23, 1992, Beijing (700 seats)
Lore & Background
KFC's first Beijing restaurant opened in November 1987 with 500 seats, making it the biggest fast food restaurant in the world. In 1988, it fried 2,200 chickens daily and earned more than any other KFC location with a turnover of 14 million yuan. KFC opened 28 restaurants across China in 1994, with seven in Beijing. The chain quickly appealed to children; in 1995, KFC replaced its bearded logo with a playful cartoon character called 'Chicky' and added play areas, child-height sinks, and birthday party settings.
Reader's Guide
The arrival of KFC and McDonald's in the late 1980s and early 1990s marked a turning point in Chinese food culture. KFC's success demonstrated that Western fast food could thrive in China, and its hygiene standards set a new benchmark that local restaurants struggled to match. McDonald's became a symbol of modernization and foreign influence, especially among affluent families. By 2018, KFC had 5,910 outlets in China versus McDonald's 2,700, though both chains expanded rapidly after 1999. Their rivalry expanded demand for Western fast food and influenced location choices. KFC's localization strategy—offering rice porridge, deep-fried dough sticks, and soy milk—helped it mitigate political risk and maintain growth even after a 2005 carcinogenic dye scandal. The chains also faced protests in 2016 following the South China Sea arbitration, when KFC was viewed as symbolic of American presence. Their legacy includes shaping childhood memories, raising hygiene expectations, and accelerating dietary shifts linked to obesity and chronic disease.
Did You Know?
- KFC's first Beijing restaurant had 500 seats, making it the biggest fast food restaurant in the world at the time.
- In 1988, that KFC location fried 2,200 chickens daily and earned 14 million yuan.
- The first McDonald's in mainland China opened in 1990 in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone.
- KFC replaced its bearded logo in 1995 with a cartoon character called 'Chicky' because Chinese children found the original off-putting.
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