China: McDonald's

McDonald's at a Glance

Contrary to our beliefs and thoughts going to China and seeing McDonald's, we had a more difficult time finding McDonald's restaurants than we thought we would. At first, we thought we would be able to find both KFC and McDonald's on the same street, right in the same area around our campus. It turned out, that most of the McDonald's we found, were located in more populated, popular areas such as the downtown areas and bigger shopping streets.

Once we were in the more heavily populated areas, McDonald's was easier to spot and to see but still nowhere near a frequent as KFC. We were also very surprised to see just how consistent McDonald's in China is and how every restaurant looked like a duplicate of the last McDonald's. China also caters more to advertising kid friendly, and bright colorful ads on the front of their store and inside their store as well. While we were there, Hello Kitty themed items were huge and seemed to be on every store and billboard you saw.

Taking a Closer Look

Because so many of the McDonald's were further away from our school, we chose one that was close to the cities center. We picked this area because there are many people that walk past it and go inside. This McDonald's was in a heavy traffic area so it was a good restaurant to observe what China McDonald's was all about.

McDonald's by City Center: Exterior

The exterior of the McDonald's in downtown Shenyang, China looked very modern and had clean lines on the outside. The exterior really did not show the use of any red and only used the yellow for the use of the arch. The primary colors used were silvers and different variations of black. In addition to the large "M" arch, there was also a lot of bright colors such as pinks, yellows, and greens promoting their Hello Kitty themed products.

It seemed that the inclusion of the Hello Kitty cartoons and bright colors was almost more important than the branding and classic look of McDonald's red and yellow seem unimportant. The scale and size of these themed products was the main focal point of the store and many other McDonald's, if not all that we saw, did the same thing with their exteriors as well.

What was also interesting to see was where the ice cream and desserts were sold. Just like an old-fashion drive through ice cream parlor, all of the McDonald's ice cream locations were located outside of the store in a little walk up window. You could not get ice cream inside at all, only from the outside window.

McDonald's by City Center: Interior

The inside of this McDonald's as well as every other McDonald's we went into was an experience in itself. Every McDonald's we went into had the exact same color scheme and very similar set ups. The downstairs portion of the restaurant was meant for ordering your food, either the typical McDonald's food or at their own little cafe. This was the portion that was very different from US McDonald's; while McDonald's in the US have "McCafe" they do not have a separate cafe section with an espresso machine and pastries but in China every single McDonald's has their own cafe section.

Once you headed to the second level of the restaurant, you had lots of space and places to pick to sit and eat. The walls were decorated with big, bold black lettering or shapes over white while other walls had accents of bright red here and there. While McDonald's in China seem to stick more to the McDonald's color, the approach of decorating the interior is much more bold and in your face.

The feel of the interior feels like an ultra-modern, very contemporary disco or crazy hip studio. This restaurant definitely does not feel like a place where fast food is made but more so like a place where cool, hip people come to hang out. It almost has a nightclub like feel with the crazy wall designs and out-there decorations.

Packaging

We initially thought that we would be able to just order a #1 at the McDonald's in China but we were very shocked when we found there are no numbers when ordering food. So we had a lot of different order different products to see how the consistency was and to see how the food might vary.

The main thing we ordered to do a comparison with was a "big mac", regular fries, and a drink. The meal cost 17.50 Yuan, which equals roughly $2.90 in US money. We did notice that area and where the McDonald's are affects the price. While we were near a subway station and in Beijing (the capital city of China), the prices for the same meal went up to 19 Yuan all the way up to 22 Yuan.

Many of the items that were on the menu were very similar to what is served in the States with a couple of tweaks here and there. For instance, the beef burgers actually have rice in them and their main or best "McFlurry" flavor is matcha green tea. McDonald's in China also have many "specialty" burgers such as a chicken burger with South Korean spice, sandwiches that we do not have.

Notice how the burger is not in a box like they usually are in America. We noticed that only the specialty burgers are placed in recoverable boxes. The size of the fries seemed to be huge for a regular but they were indeed the same size as an American combo. the drink, however, was much smaller than a regular in the states. In the states, the regular cup is a 20 oz cup where here the cup was only 12 oz. The sandwich also seemed to be bigger in a sense. Fluffier bread, fresher taste, and you knew it was somewhat made to order because of how hot it came out.

Here is the use of Taro again as a dessert flavor, something Americans have never heard of or tasted. Pineapple as a pie flavor is another item that is quite different and unusual.

The initial packaging seemed very similar to what you would see in the states and there was really only a few little differences here and there throughout the packaging. The cups and fries containers were pretty exact to what you see in the states. The way the burgers were wrapped or boxed and the way the "McFlurries" are packaged were the only big differences that we saw in the packaging.

Packaging and "cup" the "McFlurry" is put into. This is not a plastic container but rather a cardboard like cup that is brightly colored with non McDonald's colors.

How many of the cups and drinks are packaged in China. Little plastic bags with handles that hold the drinks.

Uniforms

The consistency from store to store in the uniform department was the best we've seen it at any chain restaurant. Every McDonald's we went to, the employees all wore the exact same outfit. They wore red jacket like tops and black hats that resembled beret hats. These uniforms looked very clean and almost European looking. They did not per-say go with the rest of the McDonald's theme but they did make the workers have a sense of unity and consistency making them look professional.

Conclusion

After looking and researching both McDonald's in the US and China, it is quite easy to say that the consistency of McDonald's in China is much greater and more professional and more put together than McDonald's in the states. From the way each restaurant sticks to the same color schemes, uniforms, packaging, and overall experience, China McDonald's delivers the same experience and food every time.

The food might have been a bit different here and there but for the most part, everything you could order in China, you could also order in America. the food also stated the same and with the exception of the cup sizes and fluid once differences, the amount of food you got for a combo meal was the same in both locations. McDonald's in China really impressed us with their consistency and how they present themselves as a company and how they keep their brand consistent from once restaurant in China to the next.