How China Eats a Sandwich

How China Eats a Sandwich
Sep 13, 2008 09:05
CLOUDHANDS Points: Join Date: Aug 12, 2008 Status: offline	I thought you might like this excerpt from a CNN article about Subway sandwich coming to China: "When Jim Bryant did get a restaurant up and running, it was immediately popular among Americans in Beijing (one expat kissed the floor when he walked in), but the locals weren't sure what to make of it. They stood outside and watched for a few days, and when they finally tried to buy a sandwich, they were so confused that Bryant had to print signs explaining how to order a sandwich. They didn't believe the tuna salad was made from a fish, because they couldn't see the head or tail. And they didn't like the idea of touching their food, so they would hold the sandwich vertically, unpeel the paper wrap, and eat it like a banana. Most of all, his Chinese customers didn't want sandwiches. It's not unusual for Western food chains to have trouble selling in China. McDonald's, aware that the Chinese consume more chicken than beef, offered a spicy chicken burger. KFC got rid of coleslaw in favor of seasonal dishes such as shredded carrots, fungus, or bamboo shoots. Starbucks launched a Green Tea Cream Frappuccino, TCBY added sesame-flavored frozen yogurt, and Mrs. Fields sold mango muffins. Subway, on the other hand, did little to alter its menu--something that still irks some Chinese franchisees. "Subway should have at least one item tailored to Chinese tastes to show that they are respecting the local culture," says Luo Bing Ling, who operates a store in Beijing's Haidian district. Bryant says it tried: A few years ago Subway launched a pork-rib patty with Chinese sauce, "but nobody liked it." He thinks with time and patience sandwiches will catch on. "In ten or 20 years people will be scarfing down sandwiches in China," Bryant says. Maybe he's right: Tuna salad --which the chain couldn't give away at first--is now the No. 1 seller.

Sep 13, 2008 09:05

CLOUDHANDS
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Join Date: Aug 12, 2008
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I thought you might like this excerpt from a CNN article about Subway sandwich coming to China:
"When Jim Bryant did get a restaurant up and running, it was immediately popular among Americans in Beijing (one expat kissed the floor when he walked in), but the locals weren't sure what to make of it. They stood outside and watched for a few days, and when they finally tried to buy a sandwich, they were so confused that Bryant had to print signs explaining how to order a sandwich. They didn't believe the tuna salad was made from a fish, because they couldn't see the head or tail. And they didn't like the idea of touching their food, so they would hold the sandwich vertically, unpeel the paper wrap, and eat it like a banana. Most of all, his Chinese customers didn't want sandwiches.

It's not unusual for Western food chains to have trouble selling in China. McDonald's, aware that the Chinese consume more chicken than beef, offered a spicy chicken burger. KFC got rid of coleslaw in favor of seasonal dishes such as shredded carrots, fungus, or bamboo shoots. Starbucks launched a Green Tea Cream Frappuccino, TCBY added sesame-flavored frozen yogurt, and Mrs. Fields sold mango muffins.

Subway, on the other hand, did little to alter its menu--something that still irks some Chinese franchisees. "Subway should have at least one item tailored to Chinese tastes to show that they are respecting the local culture," says Luo Bing Ling, who operates a store in Beijing's Haidian district. Bryant says it tried: A few years ago Subway launched a pork-rib patty with Chinese sauce, "but nobody liked it." He thinks with time and patience sandwiches will catch on. "In ten or 20 years people will be scarfing down sandwiches in China," Bryant says. Maybe he's right: Tuna salad --which the chain couldn't give away at first--is now the No. 1 seller.

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