How KFC became an icon in China

World
Europe

02:27

Colonel Sanders' original chicken recipe tastes the same as it did 30 years ago when KFC first came to China. The one change has been the price, which has quadrupled in the three decades.

This Western restaurant chain has carved itself into the history of China's reform and opening up. It all began with a Beijing store located near Qianmen.

Fast food – once a foreign concept in China – quickly gained fame when KFC opened its doors in Beijing in 1987. Some people even had their weddings in the store.

"If you think about the salary of people at that time, 30-40 yuan was standard for their monthly paycheck. And (when) you spend two and half yuan on one piece of chicken, that is very expensive. But if you think about this is your chance to see how a foreign culture looks like, feels like, and tastes like, that seems affordable in a way," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China, KFC brand owner.

Colonel Sanders's first three decades in China have gone fairly smoothly, with a few bumps in the road. Food safety concerns have made many Chinese consumers sensitive about what they're eating.

"We are confident enough to open any of our kitchens to the public to see how we operate, to see how we teach our staff to wash their hands to start with," Wat said.

KFC is no longer the only American fast food option for Chinese customers. As the market expands and competition heats up, restaurants are focusing on widening their range of menus and developing digital ordering and delivery platforms.