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【原文网址】http://www.uschina.usc.edu/ShowFeature.aspx?articleID=3094
【声明】Anti-CNN原创翻译，转载请注明译者及出处
【译文】
你好，你喜欢这样的薯条吗？
西式快餐店正在席卷全中国，这提供了一个清洁，已经看到或即将看到的干净的休息之所。更新日期：2008年12月22日姚旭（音）
在美国，快餐店迎合了那些寻找便捷的食物和服务的忙碌的人们。然而，在中国，西式快餐连锁，如麦当劳、肯德基、必胜客已经把美国概念里的‘快速咬’变成一个重大的社会事件。
中国快餐工业已经是世界第五了，使得全球昏暗的经济危机得以减缓。实际上，对于这些公司，在中国市场的收益弥补了他们在美国第三季度惨淡的财报。依据一份市场观察‘中国快餐分析’，中国快餐市场在2011年仍然能以25%的速度增长，而它的市场份额也将从07年的7.4%上升到9.3%。
执行这一调查的市场调研公司RNCOS执行官Shushmul Maheshwari说：“快餐在中国的价格很高，但仍然有很大的销量，因为20年经济两位数的增长使得中国人的收入大为增加，除此之外，多变的忙碌的生活方式也是造成这种现状的一个原因”。
星巴克在中国的业绩要比其他地区好。尽管星巴克还没有公布美国以外国家的销售数字，星巴克在国际上的成功要归功于中国市场，它在中国大陆有200家店，在香港、台湾和澳门地区有300个店。实际上，在2008年星巴克在美国关闭了600家店面，而在中国的业务却在上升。
星巴克公关经理May Kulthol说：“虽然我们受经济危机的影响，但我们的状况比其他高端销售商的情况要好，主要是美国地区的销售额下降，它的可比销售额为负5%，抵消这一差距需要国际市场2%的可比销售额”。
麦当劳的收入也靠中国市场。它已经用姚明为代言人。麦当劳第三季度财报显示，营业额主要靠澳洲和中国的销售额来提升，在中国的扩展促进了这种增长。11月麦当劳开设了在中国的第1000家销售店。其他快餐巨头，如必胜客和肯德基也从中国市场获益很多，有关数据显示三季度在美国的销售额下降了16%，而中国的销售额则上升了19%。这也使得它们在美国的动作变得很小，只裁了数百人。而引领盈利的中国，业务在扩展。
不断加快的生活节奏也使得快餐很受欢迎。席晓珏（音），一个经常光顾快餐店的女士说，她来这些地方是因为‘便捷、快速’，有时她不知道还有哪些地方可以代替这里。快是必然的。据肯德基中国区的数据，完成顾客的菜单平均只要90秒，越来越多的店面在城市里开设，使得找到快餐店也越来越容易。
西式快餐盛行的另一原因是中国经济的发展，它使得中国的中产阶级可以支付起快餐的价格。尽管这些快餐在美国并不起眼，但在中国却是高档次的象征。比如麦当劳在中国的价格不比在美国的价格低，对于GDP只有美国九分之一的国家来说，去麦当劳意味着钱包要承受更大压力。
戴佳杰（音）不常到快餐店，他说：“它很贵，它们应该包含更多本土风味”。
今年早期，麦当劳的价格提高了5%到10%。双层汉堡的价格从12.90元上升到15.5元。因为物价上涨，肯德基也把它们的价格提高了0.5元至2.5元。
价格涨了，但仍然有很多人去这些快餐店，因为公司致力于的那种就餐氛围。 Kulthol说：“星巴克是整个社区聚会之所，我们努力给予我们的顾客一个个人的、舒适的体验，在那里他们可以喝上一杯咖啡，休息一下，或者和朋友聚会”。
这种氛围在更优雅昂贵的‘快餐店’，例如必胜客，更加显著。桌面摆设有瓷器和银器，菜单有很多选项，从北京鸭披萨到蛤蛎杂烩。从1990年起，必胜客已经在中国开设了400间销售店。一个访问过西安的私人英文教师Dan Jones说：“那些饭店通常看起来很高端，价格很高，我丝毫不怀疑它们盈利的能力，但我认为在美国稍微有点尝试的人不会在一个特别场合把自己女朋友带到必胜客”。
据必胜客中国区网站，一个两人套餐价格为132元（$19.31），而增加额外的萨拉和汤的套餐要145元（$21.12）。价格很高，但很多中国人蜂拥而来。
不是所有美国快餐在中国都很成功，Taco Bell Grande 的经验表明中国没有为某些种族融合的事务做好贮备。
Yum! Brands在2003年在上海开了第一家Taco Bell餐厅，接下来又有两家。但是，Yum 今年一月宣布这三家店将被关闭。
Maheshwari 说，这里的菜单没有按照中国人的需求来做，使得对Taco Bell 产品的需求量下降很快。
西雅图人Jason Barbacovi在中国生活了大约一年多，他到过上海的Taco Bell Grande。他给了这家店很高的评价，因为它试着展现墨西哥风情。Barbacovi说：“他们在每个人出去的时候说‘Gracias（西语谢谢）’，但这仅限于西班牙语区。这种氛围很像墨西哥家庭聚餐，有拉丁风情的桌子和颜色。当然有大的墨西哥宽边帽，它看起来不像帽子。
Barbacovi 说，尽管他没有接触到真正的墨西哥菜，他喜欢这种菜。我的墨西哥菜和玉米一块上来，这实质上是家庭烧烤。我想说，这像打了折扣的美国墨西哥菜馆。
中国人也许没有接受墨西哥快餐，但他们慢慢适应其他方面的行业 。
自从在2005年在东苑（音）的第一家店以来，麦当劳已经开了26家‘驾驶穿越’饭店，来迎合富裕以后拥有车的人们。然而，许多人并不明白‘驾驶穿越’的意义。他们可以选择订单，停泊他们的车子，到店里吃饭。
麦当劳的拥护者McChronicles说，因为中国人以前没有类似的体验，在得到它高效服务之前，人们会认识到它的。他专门写了博文介绍自己在世界各地的麦当劳店里的体验。
西式快餐公司不仅改变了在家里吃饭的体验，他们通过介绍家庭投送来满足顾客忙碌的生活需要。中国顾客现在在熟悉这种概念，因为必胜客在2008年开设了61条投递路线，比上一年增加了49%。必胜客的成功促使其他披萨店，例如Papa John's来扩展自己在中国的投送业务。它现在有100家室内餐馆和投递餐馆，但是计划在未来五年内增加500多家店。
看到这种成功，其他在美国没有开展类似业务的连锁店也想着发展投送业务。麦当劳已经为上海的42家店配置了300辆摩托车，扩大自己在香港呼叫中心的投送能力。这些订单将会有中国当地两家公司承接，然后包在矩形的袋子里，由身着麦当劳工作服的员工带给顾客。
由于西式快餐在汉堡、披萨和炸鸡中夹杂一点美国文化，这些店也倾向于通过增加本土化的菜单来满足那些喜欢本土风味的中国顾客。
Maheshwari 说：“通过本土化菜单，快餐店的名声在中国有所提高。多数的快餐店，如麦当劳和肯德基采用了这种策略来增加自己的销量，他们提供鸡肉（不是牛肉）来获得顾客的喜欢”。
星巴克向中国所有类型的客人提供菜单选项。
Kulthol说：“我们传统的饮料和食物，例如绿茶咖啡，绿茶冰乐，红豆冰乐，红茶咖啡，月亮蛋糕。
本土化最严重是肯德基。自从它的母公司Yum! Brands在1987年11月在天安门广场创立了肯德基，它西式菜单逐渐包含了中国风味，例如鸡蛋饼，玉米，香港风味的奶茶，和麦片粥。他们最新增加的是油条，一种经过深炸的生面团，常常在早上和稀饭和豆浆食用。融合到中国的生活方式上来对很多美国快餐店有帮助。除了扩大他们的菜单，这些公司也想在中国社会打上它们的烙印。
Kulthol ：“作为一个支持改善中国教育机会的长期承诺，减少世界水荒，星巴克在2005年9月投资了40亿人民币（$5亿） 建立了中国教育工程。星巴克也捐赠了价值为2700万元($395万)给地震灾区”。
肯德基，赞助了三对三篮球锦标赛，和高中舞蹈大赛。肯德基的收入占Yum'在中国销售额的86%。因此，当肯德基在中国的465个地方有2350家店时，它的流行就是显而易见的了。
肯德基的竞争对手麦当劳，除了赞助北京奥运会以外，也向震区捐了钱。它也推进了奥运冠军宝贝计划，为那些想要参与奥运的孩子服务。
【原文】
McDonald's restaurant in Shanghai, China. Photo courtesy of McDonald's Corporation.
Ni Hao, Would You Like Fries With That?
Westernfast-food restaurants are rapidly expanding all over China. Theseprovide a clean, comfortable respite where one can see and be seen.
Release Date: 12/22/2008
By YAO XU
Inthe U.S., fast-food restaurants cater to busy people who are lookingfor quick food and service. In China, however, Western fast-foodchains, such as McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut have turned the Americanconcept of a "quick bite" into a significant social event.
China'sfast-food industry has grown to become the fifth largest in the worldand has yet to slow despite the global economic crisis. In fact, formany of these companies, the China market offset the dismal thirdquarter numbers in the U.S. According to a MarketsMonitor reportentitled "China Fast Food Analysis," the fast-food industry in China isexpected to continue its growth with a compounded annual growth rate of25% until at least 2011, while its market share should increase to9.3%, up from 7.4% in 2007.
"Fastfood in China is comparatively expensive but still sales are growingbecause of two decades of double-digit economic growth which has led togrowing income of Chinese people," said Shushmul Maheshwari, chiefexecutive of RNCOS, which lead the report. "Apart from this, changingand busier lifestyle is also responsible for the growing sales of fastfood in China."
Starbucks'business in China is faring better than it is elsewhere. Though thecompany does not release sales figures by country except for the U.S.,the international success of Starbucks is partially due to the Chinesemarket, which boasts almost 200 stores in mainland China and anadditional 300 stores in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Indeed, whileStarbucks closed 600 stores in the U.S. in 2008, business in China isgrowing.
"Although wewere affected by the global economic environment, which shows noimmediate signs of improvement, we appear to be faring better than manyother high end retailers," Starbucks Communications Manager May Kultholsaid in an email. "The weakness in consolidated comparable store saleswas driven by the U.S. segment, which posted comparable store sales ofnegative 5%. Partially offsetting this was positive 2% comparable storesales in the International segment for the year."
McDonald'searnings were helped by the China market as well. It has had basketballstar Yao Ming as a spokesman (and even outfitted store employees in Yaojerseys at one point). "The constant currency increase in revenues forthe quarter and nine months was primarily driven by strong comparablesales in Australia and China, as well as positive comparable salesthroughout the segment. In addition, expansion in China contributed tothe increase," McDonald's third-quarter SEC filings read. The companyopened their 1,000th store in China in November.
Similarly,Yum! Brands, the parent company of fast-food chains such as KFC andPizza Hut, revealed that its third-quarter American sales fell by 16%while its China sales grew by 19%.
Yumalso downsized its U.S. operations in November, cutting several hundredjobs. Yet in China, which prominently leads Yum's internationaloperations, business is expanding. An increasingly busier lifestyle isone of the contributing factors to Chinese current fast food cravings.
XiXiaojue, a weekly customer of Shanghai fast-food restaurants, says shegoes to these places because "it's convenient, fast and sometimes Ican't think of anywhere else to go."
Fastis correct. According to the KFC, China division, customers' orders areready in 90 seconds. And as these stores appear on more and more urbanstreet corners, it's getting easier to find one of these restaurants aswell.
Another reason forthe popularity of Western fast food is the rise in China's economy,which boosts the amount of middle-class Chinese who can afford theWestern fast-food experience. Though these restaurants aren'tparticularly trendy in the U.S., in China, they are upscale brands..
Pricesat McDonald's in China, for example, are not lower than they are in theUnited States. And in a country where the per-capita GDP is stillone-ninth of what it is in the U.S., a trip to McDonald's puts a muchlarger strain on the wallet.
Dai Jiajie is not a frequent visitor to fast-food places.
"It's so expensive! And they should include more local flavors!"
Earlierthis year, McDonald's in China raised prices between 5% and 10% due tohigher costs for agricultural products. The double cheeseburgers forexample, which used to be 12.90 yuan (US $1.89), are now 15.5 yuan(US$2.25).
KFC alsoincreased its prices between 0.5 yuan (US$.07) to 2.5 yuan (US$.37) forcertain menu items attributing the increase to higher commodity costs.
Despitethe prices, many Chinese customers go to these fast-food restaurantsfor the atmosphere, which the companies work hard to cultivate.
"Starbucksis a gathering place for the entire community," Kulthol said. "We careabout giving our customers a personal and enjoyable experience in anenvironment where they can relax with a good cup of coffee, take abreak from the outside world, or connect with friends."
Theatmosphere is the draw even at more elegant, expensive "fast-food"restaurants such as Pizza Hut. The table settings at Pizza Hut consistof porcelain plates and silverware. Its menu offers a wide selection ofchoices, from Peking Duck pizza to escargot to clam chowder. Launchedin December 1990 in Beijing, Pizza Hut now has 400 franchises in China.
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"Therestaurants are also classier looking and with the comparatively highcost, I'm not surprised to see that it attracts couples with money,"said Dan Jones, a private English/ESL tutor who visited the Pizza Hutin Xi'an. "I don't think anyone with any common sense would take theirgirlfriend to Pizza Hut for a special occasion in America."
Accordingto Pizza Hut's China division website, a combo meal for two with pizza,appetizer, dessert, and drink costs 132 yuan (US $19.31) while with anadditional salad and soup costs 145 yuan (US $21.21).
Despitethe steep prices, many Chinese flock to these restaurants. But not allfamiliar American fast food chains are successful in China. The TacoBell Grande experiment showed that China is not ready for some ethnicblends.
Yum! Brands,opened the first Taco Bell in 2003 in Shanghai, and followed with twomore. However, Yum announced January of this year that all threerestaurants will be closing.
"Itsproduct menu was not according to the tastes of Chinese people,"Maheshwari said. "Thus, demand for Taco Bell products went downrapidly."
JasonBarbacovi, a Seattle native who stayed a little more than a year inChina, visited the Taco Bell Grande in Shanghai. He gave the fast-foodchain credit for trying to recreate an authentic Mexican atmosphere.
"Theysaid ‘Gracias' to everyone on the way out, but that was the extent ofthe Spanish speaking," Barbacovi said. "As far as the atmosphere, itwas sort of like food-court Mexican, with the vaguely Latin-lookingtiled tables and colors, for example. And of course the big sombreros,which, looked more like piñatas than hats."
Barbacovi said that even though he had not had much exposure to authentic Mexican food, he did not enjoy his meal.
"Myenchiladas came with corn and what were essentially home fries. I wouldsay it was like a bad take-off of a U.S. Mexican restaurant. "
Chinese may not be ready to accept Mexican fast food, but they are are slowly adapting to other aspects of the industry.
McDonald'shas opened 26 drive-through restaurants since the first one opened inDongyuan in 2005 to keep up with the way affluent Chinese have embracedautomobiles. However, many Chinese customers still do not understandthe concept of a drive-through. They would often get their orders, parktheir cars, and go into the restaurant to eat their food.
"Sincevery few people in China have ever experienced any form of adrive-through experience, people must become familiar with it beforethey get efficient at it," said McDonald's devotee McChronicles, whowrites a blog about his experiences at different McDonald's around theworld.
Western fast-foodcompanies are not only changing the dine-in experience at therestaurants, they are also matching the busy lives of its customers byintroducing home delivery. Chinese customers are now familiar with theconcept since Pizza Hut opened 61 Pizza Hut Delivery outlets in Chinain 2008, up 49% from the previous year. Pizza Hut's success inspiredother pizza chains such as Papa John's to expand their delivery servicein China. It currently has 100 dine-in and delivery restaurants butplans to add 500 more stores over the next five years in China.
Withsuch success in fast-food delivery, other chains that have notintroduced the service in the U.S. are looking to develop deliveryoptions as well. McDonald's has invested in 300 mopeds for 42 Shanghairestaurants, and outsourced its delivery operation to a call center inHong Kong. The order is then taken by two local firms in China and putinto large rectangular backpacks carried by riders in red uniforms andhats with the McDonald's arches.
Asthe Western fast-food chains introduce a bit of American culturethrough its burgers, pizzas, and fried chicken, the restaurants alsoappeal to the taste palettes of Chinese customers who prefer a bit morelocalized menu.
"Bylocalizing the menu, the popularity of fast food companies isincreasing in China," Maheshwari said. "Major fast food chains likeMcDonalds and KFC are adopting this strategy to increase their marketshare as they are offering chicken (and not beef) in their menu whichis preferred by the majority of Chinese consumers."
Starbucks caters its menu to all types of customers in China.
"Ourtraditional beverages and food, such as lattes, caramel macchiato andblueberry muffins, are very well-received in China," Kulthol said."However, we also offer more familiar products such as Green Tea Latte,Green Tea Frappuccino, Red Bean Frappuccino, Black Tea latte, andmoon-cakes."
Thefast food restaurant with the most localized menu is KFC. Since itsparent company Yum! Brands introduced KFC in November of 1987 inTiananmen Square, its Westernized menu has expanded to include Chinesefare such as egg tarts, corn, Hong Kong style milk tea, and porridge.Their newest addition this year is youtiao, a deep-fried strip of doughthat is usually eaten with porridge or soymilk during breakfast.
Beingpart of the Chinese lifestyle is very important to American fast-foodcompanies. Aside from expanding its menu, these companies also want toleave their mark in the Chinese community.
"Aspart of a long-term commitment to support improved educationalopportunities in China and to further support efforts toward curtailingthe world water crisis, Starbucks Coffee Company invested 40 millionyuan (US$5 million) to establish the China Education Project inSeptember 2005. Also, Starbucks has donated a total value of 2,700,000Yuan (US$395,112) to the Sichuan earthquake area," Kulthol said.
KFC,on the other hand, sponsors three-on-three basketball tournaments andhigh school dance programs. KFC accounts for 86% of Yum's presence inChina. Hence, the restaurant's popularity is not a surprise when itsstatistics reveal that KFC has 2,350 outlets in 465 locations all overChina.
KFC's rival,McDonald's, also donated to earthquake relief in addition to sponsoringthe Beijing Olympics. It also promoted the Olympics Champion KidsProgram for children who wished to march in the Games earlier thisyear. Moreover, the chain has worked with Conservation Internationalsince 1988 to protect wild pandas, the national symbol of China.
Despitethe numbers in the U.S., these companies are thriving in China. As themajority of Western fast-food chains in China are expanding at a quickpace, customers are not in a hurry to rush out of these places.Instead, they are slowly savoring the flavors while enjoying theirexperiences with their family, friends, and loved ones.
Yao Xu is a graduate of the University of California at Irvine with a degree in English.
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