Burger King, as a world-renowned burger chain brand, is facing huge competitive challenges in the Chinese market, and it is difficult to surpass the status of KFC and McDonald's. There are many reasons for this dilemma, from the way of joining, product taste to brand influence and other aspects need to be improved.
First of all, there are slight differences between Burger King's franchise in China and KFC and McDonald's. KFC and McDonald's have adopted the method of transferring mature stores to franchisees, while Burger King requires franchisees to take full responsibility, including a series of processes such as new store location. This can lead to some franchisees being inexperienced enough to meet standards, making it difficult for Burger King's headquarters to oversee them.
Secondly, Burger King also has a difference in product taste from the local market. While KFC and McDonald's have adapted their tastes to suit the taste of Chinese people after entering China, Burger King's products in China have maintained their original taste abroad, including retaining elements such as raw onions in burgers, which does not meet the taste preferences of some Chinese consumers.
* It is also a factor restricting the development of Burger King in the Chinese market. KFC and McDonald's have launched low-priced weekday three-piece sets** in the Chinese market to cater to consumer demand. Burger King's products are relatively high, making some consumers more inclined to choose KFC and McDonald's, which are more accessible.
In addition, brand influence and publicity are also issues faced by Burger King in the Chinese market. Compared with KFC and McDonald's inviting a large number of celebrities to endorse, Burger King did not have its first spokesperson Zhang Yixing until recent years. The lack of celebrity endorsements and effective advertising has made Burger King far less well-known in China than KFC and McDonald's.
Service quality is also a major shortcoming of Burger King, and it has been reported that there are problems such as poor staff attitude and long waiting time for customers in Burger King stores. This is fatal in the fast food industry, as consumers often demand high quality of food and services.
Finally, there may also be some problems with Burger King's overall strategy. It entered the Chinese market late, 17 years later than KFC and 15 years later than McDonald's. In the beginning, the store was relatively slow, and it was only in recent years that it expanded rapidly. As a result, in some provinces and cities, Burger King's store distribution is still relatively limited, and it is difficult to gain a foothold in the Chinese market compared to KFC and McDonald's.
On the whole, the development of Burger King in the Chinese market is constrained by many factors. In order to surpass KFC and McDonald's, Burger King needs to pay more attention to localization strategy, improve franchise model, adjust product taste, improve service quality, and increase brand promotion. Only by making substantial progress in these areas can Burger King be able to catch up in the Chinese market.