Important Points

• We’ve seen how in the past two decades in China, millions of China’s consumers have quickly taken to American fast food chains.
• With the rapidly-growing American fast food chains in China, several challenges arose, including: Health consciousness of Chinese diners, competitive pressure within the industry, the Chinese consumers being difficult to please with the food (if not a familiar taste) and wanting to go back to the Chinese roots of Chinese culinary heritage (Rexaline).
• Enterprises have to reach out to Chinese consumers with American fast food chains by being “more Chinese”, therefore having to alter the menus to what Chinese individuals would prefer to eat.
• There is a clear difference of the environment both American and Chinese individuals have when dining at a fast food restaurant. Although the whole idea of fast food is for food to be served quickly (like in American fast food culture), in China, the opposite is done. People may be sat down in the restaurants by a host, given menus that are completely altered, something normal American fast food restaurants have not expanded towards, but in China, the chains target the flavors Chinese individuals may generally consume and like (such as KFC’s Teriyaki Chicken Chop Rice). Also, the atmosphere (like oriental architecture) the enterprise creates plays a significant role in appealing to its customers as well as the dining culture.
• With the American fast food places in China, there are more efficient services, evolving menus to Chinese tastes, and creating a more “upper-class” dining environment, unlike those seen in the United States.
• Fast food chains in China appeal to its consumers based on the familiar flavors/cuisine they are comfortable with and follow the Chinese dining culture (grouped dining system), making American food chains in China significantly different from the ones in the United States.

• Although American fast food in China isn’t necessarily American due to the alterations made to satisfy Chinese consumers, it’s interesting to see how one’s cultural food preference is different from another.
• Just like American Chinese food isn’t really Chinese, the same goes for American food in China isn’t really American food.
• Each culture has its differences, and the reason this topic may be significant is because it goes to show that there are companies that are willing to expand their ideas and adapt it to another culture’s preferences and learn about the differences (in this case food) that each culture has.
• With the fast food industry expanding across China to present day, we see how much it has impacted the Chinese lifestyle and it is going to continuously change and grow.