McDonald's in China

I only eat McDonald's while I am abroad. My rejection of McDonald’s food in America stems from my fears about the food quality at the US McDonald's, and from my prejudice against the franchise. Regardless of my disdain for McDonald's in the US, I enjoy visiting McDonald's in other countries to see the changes that the restaurant makes to its cuisine in order to adapt to the local culture and attract locals.

In the US, McDonald's is considered a common and cheap restaurant, frequently serving those with tighter budgets. In China, McDonald's is relatively expensive by local standards and so is frequented by those in good financial situations. It is a huge treat to bring a child to McDonald's for their birthday. I often see young people (students) hanging out and playing card games at McDonald’s in China. Does this happen in the US?

One similarity that exists between McDonald's in China and the US is that working at McDonald's is considered a low-tier job. In China, McDonald's has been charged with paying employees far below the minimum wage. My teacher's friend worked at McDonald's and made 2.2-2.8 RMB an hour. That is the equivalent of $0.35 an hour! A McDonald's hamburger costs 10 RMB, so she would have to work 5 hours just to buy one burger. For reference, the minimum wage is approximately 8 RMB/hour ($1.33/hr). How one can survive on such a wage amazes me – it is likely they don’t do it without family support.

The McDonald’s menu in China is similar to that in the US, with a couple minor Asian twists like soda-floats and iced coffee with ice cream in it. I couldn’t compare the flavor or quality to the McDonald’s franchises in the US, since I don’t eat there.

While McDonald's has opened many restaurants in China, KFC has a far greater hold on the Chinese fast food market, and has opened many more franchises. KFC was the first American fast-food chain to enter China, since McDonald’s had at first failed to see the potential in the Chinese market. Upon seeing the great success that KFC had generated China, McDonalds also began establishing its own franchises in China, though it still lags behind KFC. In order to directly challenge KFC's dominance, McDonald's has frequently opened franchises across the street from a KFC franchise. KFC's great success in China can be attributed to its localization efforts - it has modified its menu to suit the Chinese palate, while still retaining its western flavor. Were KFC to serve standard Chinese food, then what would distinguish it from all of its cheaper Chinese rivals?

The McDonald's in Spain is probably the best McDonald’s I've had yet. Most of the beef served in Spanish McDonald's is raised in Toledo, the town I lived in when I studied in Spain. The fries and McNuggets were fried in olive oil (a lot of Spanish dishes are also fried in olive oil), and tasted very good. I did not notice many Spanish alterations to the menu, other than the inclusion of beer, which surprised me.

In the Philippines, I visited Jollibee's, an international fast food chain. They did sell burgers and fries, but their menu also included a couple local twists such as...spaghetti (the "tomato" sauce wasn't made from tomatoes), rice and meat, etc. I don't remember the rest of the menu. It was also relatively expensive compared to the local price levels. Moreover, my friend Anna, who has spent several months in the Philippines said that Jollibee's is considered a higher-end place to work, and may require a college degree! Granted, the employees were required to speak English, and working conditions were better than selling goods outside, biking rickshaws, or some form of manual labor.