Chinese burger innovations bolster local brands

Every Tuesday, Lu Jin, 22, who is pursuing his bachelor's degree at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, visits Tastien (also known as Tasiting) restaurant located in the capital's North Third Ring area, within the campus neighborhood. The restaurant's member card entitles him to a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

"The buns here are handmade, still hot when served. They are not your typical bread," said Lu.

He and his friend ordered two sets of fried chicken burgers for 41 yuan ($5.6). Thousands of Chinese consumers such as Lu find Tastien's deals and fast food irresistible. Positioning itself as the "Chinese burger" brand, Tastien has developed its own "hand-rolled burger buns" as a speciality. The buns incorporate Chinese culinary elements like braised pork belly, Peking duck and shredded pork with garlic sauce.

These are burger innovations, Chinese-style, which have helped Tastien to distinguish itself from Western fast-food burger brands such as McDonald's, KFC and Wallace.

Tastien primarily targets third- and fourth-tier cities and even smaller places. It has rapidly expanded its presence in rural areas and now has a network of more than 7,000 stores, the largest Chinese-style burger maker in the country.

According to Chenzhi Data, in the second quarter of 2023, hamburger outlets of all brands across China reached a historic high, surpassing 120,000 outlets.

Cultural elements associated with Chinese cuisine inform the Western fast-food model adopted by the Fujian province-based Tastien. In July 2023, the brand underwent an upgrade, complete with a tagline: "For the Chinese taste, love Chinese burgers". This move proved effective as it established a strong association between burgers and the varieties of Chinese cuisine, which resonated with certain groups of local consumers.

But not everyone is attracted by the domestic flavors alone. "For us, the chief attraction is the promotional price. Of course, the food tastes good, but, it's still fast food," said Lu.

The runaway success of Western fast-food brands such as KFC and McDonald's in China, which are known for their standardized hamburgers, and low entry barriers in this segment of the food and beverage sector have attracted numerous investors in recent years.

In addition to Tastien, 10 "Chinese-style burger" brands, including Chuzheng and Linbaobao, received funding in 2023 alone, according to Chenzhi Data.

According to Zhaimen Restaurant data, among Chinese hamburger brands, Panda Now Chinese Burger has 38 stores, Generous Chinese Burger has 33, Linbaobao has 20 and Chu Zheng Chinese Burger 11.