Top McDonald's China Alternatives, Competitors (2024)

FAQs

Who are McDonald's competitors in China? ›

3 However, it faces significant competition from other quick-service brands, such as Burger King, Wendy's (WEN), Taco Bell, KFC, and Subway. Fast-casual restaurants are also close competitors, with names like Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), and Panera Bread Company.

But for China mainland, McDonald's not only entered the Chinese market three years later than KFC, its entry into smaller cities was also slower than KFC's, which made McDonald's popularity and number of shops much weaker than KFC's during the same period for all the time.

Market share of leading fast food brand restaurants in China 2016-2022. In 2022, KFC continued to be the leading restaurant brand in the limited-service restaurant market in China, with approximately 5.5 percent of the market share. McDonald's and Dicos were another two major market players that year.

McD's in China has officially changed its Chinese name from Maidanglao (a literal translation of “McDonald's”) to Jingongmen -- or, “Golden Arches.”

Domino's. Domino's the one of the leading brands in the fast-food sector. It is best known for its wide range of pizzas available in different sizes. The company is an indirect competitor to McDonald's.

Since its inception, McDonald's has been committed to providing fast, affordable, and consistent food options to customers around the world. This focus on convenience and reliability sets McDonald's apart from its competitors and has become an integral part of its brand identity.

Chris Kempczinski is Chairman and CEO of McDonald's Corporation.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (Chinese: 肯德基; pinyin: Kěndéjī) is a fast food restaurant chain founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in North Corbin, Kentucky, in 1930.

Does McDonald's do well in China? ›

China emerged as the market with the highest number of new store openings in the fast food giant's financial reports. Over the past year, McDonald's opened a total of 1,374 new stores in international markets, with China contributing 925 of them, accounting for 67% of the new stores.

The history of western-style fast food in China dates back to 1906, when "Yili's Fast Food Shop" (义利快餐厅) was established in Beijing as the country's very first fast food restaurant in the Far East of the Asia-Pacific region.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. operates China's leading restaurant concepts, including KFC and Pizza Hut brands, as well as emerging brands including Taco Bell, Little Sheep and Huang Ji Huang.

Panda Express

Founded by Andrew Cherng in Glendale, California back in 1983, this family-run chain has since grown to have over 2,300 locations. That makes it the largest family-run chain of its kind in the United States.

1. Kung Pao Chicken. There aren't many Chinese dishes that are more popular than Kung Pai Chicken. The classic dish originates from southwestern China, specifically Sichuan cuisine, and is associated with general Chinese food and cuisine.

Luckin Coffee, the Chinese chain that has been rebuilding its business since a fraud scandal four years ago, has reported a commanding sales lead over rival Starbucks in the important China market.

McDonald's restaurants in China offer several Chinese dishes, such as youtiao (油条, Chinese deep-fried dough) and cakes with taro filling (a kind of sweet potato). Additionally, green tea is not only used to make teas but also used in sweets and hamburger buns, which gives them a vivid green color.

What's your outlook for the planned McDonald's expansion in China? Join the conversation below. McDonald's dominates the burger landscape: Its market share among fast-food restaurants in China serving beef burgers rose to 74.6% last year from 71.5% in 2018, according to Euromonitor International.