McDonald's was the first American fast food ever opened in my city about 20 years ago. I remember celebrating my birthday over there when I was a kid, and that was considered a privilege back then.

“Large pool of labor”… camera switches to an actual pool 😂😂😂💀

That's one thing I learned about McD 's when I got older is that they're more of a real estate investor than a restaurant.

25 years ago when I was a kid, McDonald’s was THE place to be. It’s the place to have a treat at a western restaurant. It’s bright, clean, and has pictures of happy people plastered on the wall. Most McDonald restaurants also had a kids play area , which was better than outside playgrounds at the time. HappyMeal toys were a different level. I still remember some of my earliest toys; they were such good quality plastic. Fast forward a few years, I was waiting for my mom while she worked, because I couldn’t be in her office. I sat at McDonald’s. It’s a safe place to be with AC and clean washrooms. For me, The good memories of McDonald’s was tied to the experience and the place.

My young son was acting up at McDonald's. I told him he needed to behave when we were in a restaurant. He said this isn't a restaurant it's McDonald's.

I think the video failed to stress how important catering to the tastes of Chinese consumers was for McDonalds’ success there. Chinese consumers aren’t as much interested in burgers, fries, and all the greasy stuff as they are into rice bowls, wraps, congee, youtiao (油条), tea beverages. I think these local offering greatly boosted its popularity amongst locals.

One thing you forgot to mention: Eating at McDonald’s is now actually cheaper than eating at a noodle shop or a meal box store in most tier 1 and 2 cities. At ¥13.9/$2, you can get a medium drink and a double cheeseburger/6 McNuggets/some other local offerings. Not even KFC can come up with similar deals these years.

Honestly I miss Chinese McDonalds now that I'm in the UK, there is just in general more options for food in Chinese ones, and they put effort in product development, as I remember they come up with seasonal offerings almost every year, like sakura ice cream or matcha ice cream, maybe because the local competition is much fiercer than UK.

McDonalds be like: There's 1.4 billion chinese for us to make fat and unhealthy

8 years in China and I never felt the desire to eat Mcdonalds. The local noodles really are excellent and affordable.

McDonald's has a bigger and localized menu here in China. Their spicy wings are the best. And KFC even serves Asian style congee in the morning and rice bowls in their whole-day menu.

It's amazing how popular McDonalds is in other countries, it always shocks me whenever I travel abroad

I was in Hangzhou before moving to Ireland. It is very impressive that McDonald's have a lots of chinese style food and cheaper than a lot of chinese food.

I noticed Andrew Charles stressed the word "massive" when referring to McDonald's expensansion. Massive is an apt word to describe their impact on a population, as well.

I remember going to McDonalds in Mumbai (India) in the early 2000s and being excited about the cultural freebies (coloured garba sticks) they offered to attract new customers. Years later I am here in France and watching McDo (as we call it here) giving every other fast-food chain tough competition to become the most sought after fast-food restaurant.

One of the weird joys of traveling to Asia was getting to see a McDonald's wherever I went. It created a bizarre sense of comfort.

McDonald's is successful in many countries because of its price, simplicity, fast serving methods and branding

I stopped eating not only at McDonald’s but all fast food restaurants. The food is not great the amount of food you get is questionable for the amount of money your spending. I can go to a proper sit down restaurant and have a better meal for the same amount of money. It just doesn’t make sense spending that kind of money on fast food, fast food use to be attractively priced.

McD always has a line in Japan, the Japanese love McD! But my Japanese hubby will often prefer to go to Mos Burger in Japan, feeling its healthier. Occasionally he wants his McD but he doesn't eat there too often.

How McDonald's is able to supply all these restaurants worldwide is truly amazing...

Are multiple cashiers and lineups for orders still a thing in the USA? Cuz here in Toronto, every single McDonald's I've been to in the last couple of years is kiosk-based for orders (like in China).

As an Asian-American who have visited China multiple times as result of my marriage to an international student, I must stress it's important to visit KFC at the airport when you land. it's absolutely one of the best fried chicken drumsticks you will ever have if not the BEST. LOL! Back to the topic; there is a lot of competitions due to smaller chains or individual shops that sell at living wage. There is a huge portion of the population who can't afford these American Chains on daily basis because their menus are priced like USD. I'm just guessing here, the best i can recall is avg income in China is about 1/4-1/5 of the US yet Starbucks Grande drinks go for 40-50 RMB, equates to $6-$8 USD. oh lord, the fast food here is like premium dining in China, truly only spoiled kids and people living paycheck to paycheck go for these places.

amazing research done on this video, thank you

I currently live in China. From what I understand McD’s prices soared after I left the States (2018) to something like $12-15 for a combo? $8 will get you a combo delivered to your house. For $15 you can get a combo set for four people delivered right to your door.

McDonalds is not the cheap fast food in China like it is in the States. It cannot compete on price with local chains. Instead they are more middle-end and found great success there

It is rather cheap, delicious and convenient compared to most Chinese restaurants. For example, a simple noodles with beef would cost me about 25 cny in the city while the double cheeseburger with pie or drink only cost 14 cny. Also, McDonald’s price are stable even in city downtown area very popular amount students and office workers

Visual stunning business micro-documentaries ……. Very educational to watch 🍿

How is Restaurant Reporter an actual position and where do I sign up?

I wonder if there's any localized type of food. When I was in Japan Mcdonalds I had a shrimp patty burger.

MCDONALD'S trying make china fat lol 😆

McPhilippines has adopted the Filipino taste of spaghetti recently. Now every fast food spaghetti in Philippines is now sweet. I wish they kept their original sour spagetti. So sad.

KFC for breakfast is a thing for locals in China. That being said they do have Asian items but KFC being the go to says a lot

If you come to McDonald’s China, you gotta try nuggets, ppl who returns from the US says it’s way way better compared McDonald’s in the US

I am a Chinese, I remember when I was young, it was a fashion and great joy to have your birthday parties in Mcdonalds in China, I was even a character in a commercial for Mcdonalds when I was 5.

McDonald's, one of the world's largest restaurant chains, with 60 million customers daily, over 40,000 locations in 100 countries, and 1.9 million employees, has announced plans to open 900 new restaurants in 2023, with a focus on expanding in China. China is seen as a massive growth opportunity for McDonald's, as the company aims to double its current store count of 4,500 within the next decade or two. However, McDonald's has faced challenges in the Chinese market, including cultural differences in food preferences, food safety issues, competition from local rivals, and rising real estate costs. McDonald's first entered the Chinese market in 1990, opening its first restaurant in Shenzhen, and expanded rapidly, opening its 20th restaurant in Beijing in 1994. In 2010, McDonald's announced plans to double its footprint in China to 2,000 restaurants. Despite these efforts, McDonald's was still playing catch up with rival KFC, which had over 8,100 restaurants in China compared to McDonald's 4,642 stores at that time. One reason for KFC's larger presence in China was its first mover advantage, as it owned the distribution business in China, allowing it to access smaller cities before McDonald's. Additionally, chicken, which is a larger protein in China, was more appealing to Chinese consumers than beef, which is the main focus of McDonald's menu. In 2014, McDonald's faced a food quality scandal in China, along with KFC parent Yum! Brands, after reporters secretly filmed workers picking up meat off the floor of a local supplier. This led to a decline in sales for McDonald's China business that year. McDonald's also faced competition from local rivals, including noodle stands that sold hot bowls of noodles at a fraction of the cost of a McDonald's meal. Despite these challenges, the fast food industry in China was worth $184 billion, indicating the immense potential for growth. In 2017, McDonald's made a strategic move to sell its China business for over $2 billion to Chinese state-owned enterprise CITIC and US private equity firm Carlyle Group. Under the agreement, McDonald's retained a 20% stake in the business, while CITIC owned 52% and Carlyle Group held a 28% stake. This move allowed McDonald's to embrace its franchise model and reduce operating costs, as its partners in China would be responsible for providing capital, including real estate, and McDonald's would receive royalties and fees for new restaurant openings based on sales. The partnership with a state-owned entity also provided benefits in terms of site allocation, as real estate costs and site acquisition costs in China are considerably higher than in the United States. Despite the challenges and changes in ownership structure, McDonald's remains committed to the long-term growth opportunity in China. The company plans to open 900 new restaurants in 2023, with nearly half of them being in China. McDonald's sees China as a priority market for store development, with the aim to double its store count in the country within the next decade or two. The partnership with CITIC and Carlyle Group provides McDonald's with the necessary capital and resources to expand in China, while also navigating the regulatory and cultural differences that come with operating in the Chinese market. In conclusion, McDonald's is one of the world's largest restaurant chains with a massive global footprint, and it is planning to expand further by opening 900 new restaurants in 2023, with a focus on China. Despite facing challenges in the Chinese market, including cultural differences, food safety issues, and competition from local rivals, McDonald's remains committed to the long-term growth potential in China. 世界最大のレストランチェーンの1つであるマクドナルドは、毎日6,000万人の顧客、100か国の40,000を超える場所、190万人の従業員を擁し、中国での拡大に焦点を当てて、2023年に900の新しいレストランをオープンする計画を発表しました。 中国は、マクドナルドにとって大きな成長の機会と見なされており、同社は今後10年か20年以内に現在の4,500店舗の店舗数を倍増させることを目指しています。 しかし、マクドナルドは、食の嗜好における文化の違い、食品の安全性の問題、地元のライバルとの競争、不動産コストの上昇など、中国市場で課題に直面しています。 マクドナルドは1990年に中国市場に初めて参入し、深センに最初のレストランをオープンし、1994年に北京に20番目のレストランをオープンして急速に拡大しました。 これらの努力にもかかわらず、マクドナルドは、当時のマクドナルドの4,642店舗と比較して、中国に8,100を超えるレストランを持っていたライバルのKFCにまだ追いついていました。 KFCが中国でより大きな存在感を示した理由の1つは、中国での流通事業を所有していたため、マクドナルドよりも小さな都市へのアクセスを可能にしたため、先行者の優位性でした。 さらに、中国の消費者にとっては、マクドナルドのメニューの主力である牛肉よりも、タンパク質の多い鶏肉の方が魅力的でした。 2014年、マクドナルドはKFCの親会社であるYum!とともに、中国で食品品質のスキャンダルに直面しました。 ブランド、地元のサプライヤーの床から肉を拾う労働者を記者が密かに撮影した後. これにより、その年のマクドナルドの中国事業の売上は減少しました。 マクドナルドは、中国のファーストフード業界において、地元のライバルとの競争や食品の安全性の問題など、様々な課題に直面しています。しかし、これらの課題にもかかわらず、中国のファーストフード業界は1,840億ドルの価値があり、成長の大きな可能性を示しています。 2017年、マクドナルドは中国の国有企業であるCITICと米国のプライベートエクイティ会社であるカーライルグループに20億ドル以上で中国事業を売却するという戦略的な動きをしました。この契約に基づき、マクドナルドは事業の20%の株式を保有し、CITICは52%を所有し、カーライルグループは28%の株式を保有していました。この動きにより、マクドナルドはフランチャイズモデルを採用し、運営コストを削減することができました。これは、中国のパートナーが不動産を含む資本を提供する責任を負い、マクドナルドが販売に基づいて新しいレストランを開くためのロイヤルティと手数料を受け取ることになるからです。中国の不動産コストと用地取得コストは米国に比べてかなり高いため、国営企業とのパートナーシップは用地の割り当ての面でもメリットをもたらしました。 所有構造の課題と変化にもかかわらず、マクドナルドは中国での長期的な成長機会に引き続き取り組んでいます。同社は2023年に900の新しいレストランをオープンする予定で、その半分近くが中国にあります。マクドナルドは、中国を店舗開発の優先市場と見なしており、今後10年または20年以内に国内の店舗数を2倍にすることを目指しています。CITICおよびCarlyle Groupとの提携により、マクドナルドは中国での事業拡大に必要な資本とリソースを手に入れると同時に、中国市場での事業に伴う規制や文化の違いをうまく乗り切ることができます。 結論として、マクドナルドは世界最大のレストランチェーンの一つであり、大規模なグローバルなフットプリントを持ち、中国を中心に2023年に900店舗の新しいレストランをオープンすることでさらに拡大する計画をしています。中国市場での課題として文化の違い、食品の安全性の問題、地元の競合他社との競争などがありますが、それにもかかわらず、マクドナルドは中国での長期的な成長の可能性に引き続き取り組んでいます。 それを目指しています。

I have seen many McDonald's stores being opened here in Brazil in the last couple of years. They have been through a major expansion since the pandemic.

You can’t discuss McDonald in China, or any where in Asia, without mentioning that they really take pride in what they do. The restaurants are clean, the food is properly cooked and well assembled. It’s totally different. It’s actually good.

When I first arrived to the US like 25y ago, McD stores had playgrounds with balls for kids to climb and play. Now, the majority of the stores no longer has playground. It is sad.

I rarely go to McD when I am in America,but I love the McD’s locally food in China.

11:11 love their coffee offerings 👍🏻

Your business will make you rich but investment makes and you keep you wealthy, we all deserve to be successful and have financial freedom, I pray everyone here becomes successful

Fun fact (Maybe not): The ice cream/milkshake machine also broke A LOT whenever I returned to Shanghai.

I miss china even though i had a lot of difficulties when covid happened, i don't go to MC donald's in US but when i was in china i found myself there a lot!

I haven't had a McD in the States for 20 years, but when I was in China last year, I kept going there. I don't like the food, but will buy for the toys. Mainly because of the Sanrio, Pokemon, and other anime toys that comes with the meals🥰 I love my singing/dancing Psyduck!

To be fair, basically all McDonald's locations in Germany and most of (at least Western) Europe have the big order Kiosks and ordering mobile through their app..

Fun fact: When people order through a kiosk machine, they order more food. The automated system removes the embarrassment of appearing to be a pig to a human order taker.

I visit McDonald sometimes simply because I like hamburgers and fries. The restaurants in China normally don't provide hamburgers and fries. and I have to go to McDonald/KFC/ burgers king to get my fries.

Does this mean that when there's a stable logistics mechanics on the Artemis moon base, KFC, McDonald's or Pizza Hut are going to open up there?

I am not a big McDonald's fan but sometimes when I lived in China I would pop in to one of their stores for convenience (and clean toilets). Anyway, I notice I was always the oldest person in the restaurant. At the time I was in my late fourties. McDonald's in China is a phenomenon amongst some young Chinese who want to experience something a little more "exotic" than their own amazing and diverse cuisine

I ain’t watched the full video yet. But I went to China in March 2017 and the fries at McDonald’s in Biejing was so good! They added this sauce on it was amazing. But I thought they love KFC alot more. At least that what I saw. Actually KFC is respected so much more outside of USA lol. I love it but idk why others don’t. They prefer Popeyes or Chick-Fil-A 👎

I got confused with the image of the pool for a moment there.

Are these Chinese locations franchised as well?

Didn't know McDonald's and Starbucks were doing so well in China.

The chicken sandwiches of the Chinese McDonald’s are so good, not available in the US lol

Most American fastfoods are huge in Asia from McDonalds, KFC, and Burger King. What made them more appealing are the unique menu catered for the local palate. In the Philippines, I don't to McDonalds because of the burger, but because of their fried chicken.

Here in Austria we had those ordering displays since 2018 haha

When the local competition uses sewer grease and shredded garbage, I can see an opening for something like McD.

Mac Donald's is a UNIVERSAL FOOD 🍟🍔🥤it transcends cultural, National, Racial and demographic boundaries. It's easy on taste buds even for the most sensitive of the client's.

11:49 Music reminds me of Fable lol :P

You actually don't use a console to place orders. You scan a QR code and then see the menu on your phone, and you place the order and pay right there.

I would like a story of the country that mcdonalds failed in south america

the chinese McDonald has larger menu and their burgers/food also taste better 😍

I remember eating at McDonald’s in Hong Kong in the 80’s. I was in the U.S. navy and the sight of the Golden Arches was a welcome thing after being at sea for months. I had it in my mind I was going to throw down when I got there. I remember all the Chinese business men in front of me in line. They all ordered just a hamburger, small fry and small coke. When I went to order I ordered 2 Big Macs , a cheeseburger, large fry, apple pie and a large coke. All the Asian people in line behind me were all snickering and whispering to each other 😂. They were probably like “check out the American barbarian!” 😂

Wonder if they reuse the coffee grounds, same as in US?

Why do McDonalds thrive in China? Adaptation .... Adaptation ... Adaptation.

I bet those Ice Cream machines work over in china.

Interesting video.

McDonald's sold its China business a few years ago and the brand name was changed. The only things not changed were the "M" and the food menu. But to Chinese, McDonald is already a history.

For us, McDonald's is equivalent to snacks, not staple food

McDonalds is really something special,no matter what the cynics say.

I just ordered McDonald's and this video popped up in my feed.

I haven't eaten MD for 8yrs, after I found that there is 17 ingredients in the fries 🍟 They can have it!

it offers a different option, just like you guys have Chinese takeaways in the U.S.

Chi-Na ‼️🇨🇳

when I don't know what to eat during work day, I always eat McDonald as they have some good set meals

the electronic kiosk is used to collect data and also used to save labour costs. many stores will only have 2-3 staff. biggest rival is actually KFC, and is beating MacDonald's in terms of revenue. Service is very important.. and i think is Macdonalds weakness in China.

McDonald’s was the place to go in the 1970s and 80s. Then they switched to vegetable oil and the fries lost taste. They reduced ingredient quality like pretty much every restaurant has and they pulled the playgrounds families enjoyed. If all they care about are adult customers there are just too many other choices like Chipotle now. I’ve not been to a Mickey Ds for years, even on the road most of us will get a deli sandwich before heart stopping McDonald’s. But I see their mile long drive through lines so they do have plenty of customers, not sure who they are or why they wait so long for sketch food.

McDonal in China is run by the local franchise owned by the State enterprise. It has little to do with McDonald in the U.S, even the supply chain is different.

I'm living in a 2nd tier city and already getting bored of McD's China menu... they only serve 2 sauces (sweet & sour, garlic chili) and burgers are small and non-customizable (only substracting ingredients allowed). If I go to McD's I want to experience it the all American way, with quarter pounders and such, in addition to local specialties and limited offers. Not the other way around. 😒

Asia in general prefer fried chicken over hamburger meat - no idea why but I spent my life in various Asian countries and its a commonality that runs through most of east asia area.

Chinese will be fat like us 😁🤣

McD is big in india as well

Well, in China, McDonald's and KFC restaurant that I've visited food safety grades are usually A or B, which are considered excellent and good. However, almost 98% of the restaurants I have visited are graded C, which is not so great. This could also explain why...

Starbucks is also huge in China aswell, I’m pretty sure they open a new Starbucks every 16 hours in China

jokes on them, they killing our next generation with TikTok, Fentanyl and ESG scores but we killing their next generation with Diabetes

Born and raised in China and live in North America now. I can clearly say that McDonald’s in NA taste much worse that what it is in China. The grill Chicken sandwich in China is THE best sandwich product you could find in M around the world

I'm lovin' it! 🍔🍟

Domino's opened its first restaurant in my city in southwestern China last week, and the average queue is 30-40min just to get into the restaurant to order. They serve decent pizza, but it's only Domino's ....

They deserve each other

Fun Fact: McDonald's is pronounced *Mai Don Lau* in Chinese

I'm old. I stopped going to McDonald's after the 60s. It changed drastically due to government interfering with the food process and ingredients. It started as junk food then got much much worse.

The Professor of Strategy and Economics was from McDonough University, CNBC know's how to have some fun.

Good coverage, great video, thanks. Interesting to see that MCD is expanding in China. Not so good that it lowers the nutrition quality of millions of people 🍟. I guess, there will be many US companies ready to sell the medicines needed in the future 💊

McDonald's is a symbol of American culture, so when China decided to open up 40 years ago, it meant that China decided to accept American culture and accept McDonald's

I have ate MD for 8yrs, after I found that there is 17 ingredients in the fries 🍟 They can have it!

9:45 thats Macau

This a geostrategic move to clog their arteries

You guys have no idea how popular McDonald is in India. You basically see McDonald’s around every corner in all major Indian cities.

It’s the pricing, like I would get a double cheeseburger meal with a medium fries, large coke, a McSpicy, and a apple pie for 36RMB. That’s 5.24USD…Or I could get a double cheeseburger with an ice cream or a apple pie for 12RMB/1.75USD

Do you mean Guangzhou instead of guangdong?