{"id":77243,"date":"2026-08-17T23:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T15:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=77243"},"modified":"2026-08-17T23:00:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T15:00:03","slug":"from-pizza-hut-to-haidilao-why-chinas-fast-food-chains-are-turning-to-burgers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=77243","title":{"rendered":"From Pizza Hut to Haidilao, why China\u2019s fast-food chains are turning to burgers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/1280x720\/public\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/08\/17\/c4b73bc0-6ea0-4819-9295-100df58a0da2_1c796466.jpg?itok=uioKD8s7&amp;v=1786959636\" \/><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"\">\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">Burgers are having a moment in mainland China, with budget-conscious diners and smaller households turning the humble sandwich into one of the country\u2019s hottest fast-food battlegrounds, drawing in everyone from global restaurant chains to hotpot operators and coffee brands.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">Yum China\u2019s Pizza Hut Burger Bar format, in which a burger counter operates alongside an existing Pizza Hut restaurant, expanded to more than 200 outlets in six \u200cmonths, the company said in July. It plans to grow to 500 to 600 outlets by the end of 2026, or about 10 per cent of its total Pizza Hut store network.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">The rush into burgers reflects broader shifts in China\u2019s consumption habits. As households get smaller and economic uncertainty keeps spending in check, diners are favouring lower-cost, portable meals that offer convenience without sacrificing value.<\/p>\n<p datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1c6uqr6 ec74h0k1\">That is turning burgers from a niche Western import, dominated by McDonald\u2019s, KFC and Burger King, into one of the most hotly contested segments of mainland China\u2019s restaurant market as new brands race to cash in.<\/p>\n<figure xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-qa=\"Component-StyledFigure\" class=\"css-1cyffwk e1t6i3s42\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"121\" height=\"25\" viewbox=\"0 0 121 25\" fill=\"none\" data-qa=\"Component-StyledQuoteIcon\" class=\"css-35nk2f e1t6i3s43\"><default:g id=\"Quotation Marks\"><default:path id=\"Vector\" d=\"M78.492 0C69.8284 3.51593 63.4958 10.9363 63.4958 18.7451C63.4958 22.805 66.0794 25 69.2845 25C72.9558 25 76.6272 21.9503 76.6272 17.9681C76.6272 15.1515 74.8983 13.209 72.4896 13.209C71.5572 13.209 70.6248 13.4421 69.7507 13.6752C70.9939 7.88656 74.5875 5.08935 79.8323 2.58353L78.5114 0H78.492ZM60.6792 0C52.0157 3.51593 45.6831 10.9363 45.6831 18.7451C45.6831 22.805 48.2666 25 51.3941 25C55.0654 25 58.8144 21.9503 58.8144 17.9681C58.8144 15.1515 57.0856 13.209 54.5992 13.209C53.6668 13.209 52.7344 13.4421 51.8603 13.6752C53.1035 7.88656 56.6971 5.08935 61.9418 2.58353L60.6986 0H60.6792Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><default:path id=\"Line\" d=\"M0.941406 17.5C1.35562 17.5 1.69141 17.8358 1.69141 18.25C1.69141 18.6642 1.35562 19 0.941406 19H0.75C0.335786 19 0 18.6642 0 18.25C0 17.8358 0.335786 17.5 0.75 17.5H0.941406ZM5.15625 17.5C5.57028 17.5002 5.90625 17.8359 5.90625 18.25C5.90625 18.6641 5.57028 18.9998 5.15625 19H4.77246C4.35837 18.9999 4.02246 18.6641 4.02246 18.25C4.02246 17.8359 4.35837 17.5001 4.77246 17.5H5.15625ZM9.37012 17.5C9.78433 17.5 10.1201 17.8358 10.1201 18.25C10.1201 18.6642 9.78433 19 9.37012 19H8.9873C8.57309 19 8.2373 18.6642 8.2373 18.25C8.2373 17.8358 8.57309 17.5 8.9873 17.5H9.37012ZM13.584 17.5C13.9982 17.5 14.334 17.8358 14.334 18.25C14.334 18.6642 13.9982 19 13.584 19H13.2012C12.787 18.9999 12.4512 18.6642 12.4512 18.25C12.4512 17.8358 12.787 17.5001 13.2012 17.5H13.584ZM17.7988 17.5C18.213 17.5001 18.5488 17.8358 18.5488 18.25C18.5488 18.6642 18.213 18.9999 17.7988 19H17.416C17.0018 19 16.666 18.6642 16.666 18.25C16.666 17.8358 17.0018 17.5 17.416 17.5H17.7988ZM22.0127 17.5C22.4269 17.5 22.7627 17.8358 22.7627 18.25C22.7627 18.6642 22.4269 19 22.0127 19H21.6299C21.2157 19 20.8799 18.6642 20.8799 18.25C20.8799 17.8358 21.2157 17.5 21.6299 17.5H22.0127ZM26.2275 17.5C26.6416 17.5001 26.9775 17.8359 26.9775 18.25C26.9775 18.6641 26.6416 18.9999 26.2275 19H25.8438C25.4297 18.9998 25.0938 18.6641 25.0938 18.25C25.0938 17.8359 25.4297 17.5002 25.8438 17.5H26.2275ZM30.25 17.5C30.6642 17.5 31 17.8358 31 18.25C31 18.6642 30.6642 19 30.25 19H30.0586C29.6444 19 29.3086 18.6642 29.3086 18.25C29.3086 17.8358 29.6444 17.5 30.0586 17.5H30.25Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><default:path id=\"Line_2\" d=\"M90.9414 17.5C91.3556 17.5 91.6914 17.8358 91.6914 18.25C91.6914 18.6642 91.3556 19 90.9414 19H90.75C90.3358 19 90 18.6642 90 18.25C90 17.8358 90.3358 17.5 90.75 17.5H90.9414ZM95.1562 17.5C95.5703 17.5002 95.9062 17.8359 95.9062 18.25C95.9062 18.6641 95.5703 18.9998 95.1562 19H94.7725C94.3584 18.9999 94.0225 18.6641 94.0225 18.25C94.0225 17.8359 94.3584 17.5001 94.7725 17.5H95.1562ZM99.3701 17.5C99.7843 17.5 100.12 17.8358 100.12 18.25C100.12 18.6642 99.7843 19 99.3701 19H98.9873C98.5731 19 98.2373 18.6642 98.2373 18.25C98.2373 17.8358 98.5731 17.5 98.9873 17.5H99.3701ZM103.584 17.5C103.998 17.5 104.334 17.8358 104.334 18.25C104.334 18.6642 103.998 19 103.584 19H103.201C102.787 18.9999 102.451 18.6642 102.451 18.25C102.451 17.8358 102.787 17.5001 103.201 17.5H103.584ZM107.799 17.5C108.213 17.5001 108.549 17.8358 108.549 18.25C108.549 18.6642 108.213 18.9999 107.799 19H107.416C107.002 19 106.666 18.6642 106.666 18.25C106.666 17.8358 107.002 17.5 107.416 17.5H107.799ZM112.013 17.5C112.427 17.5 112.763 17.8358 112.763 18.25C112.763 18.6642 112.427 19 112.013 19H111.63C111.216 19 110.88 18.6642 110.88 18.25C110.88 17.8358 111.216 17.5 111.63 17.5H112.013ZM116.228 17.5C116.642 17.5001 116.978 17.8359 116.978 18.25C116.978 18.6641 116.642 18.9999 116.228 19H115.844C115.43 18.9998 115.094 18.6641 115.094 18.25C115.094 17.8359 115.43 17.5002 115.844 17.5H116.228ZM120.25 17.5C120.664 17.5 121 17.8358 121 18.25C121 18.6642 120.664 19 120.25 19H120.059C119.644 19 119.309 18.6642 119.309 18.25C119.309 17.8358 119.644 17.5 120.059 17.5H120.25Z\" fill=\"black\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/p>\n<blockquote data-qa=\"Component-StyledBlockquote\" class=\"css-1fi7v0o e1t6i3s41\"><p>When you want food that\u2019s clean, quick and something children don\u2019t get bored of, nothing is better than a burger<\/blockquote><figcaption data-qa=\"Component-StyledFigcaption\" class=\"css-z7v1aj e1t6i3s40\">Liu Tao, a musician in Beijing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div datatype=\"p\" data-qa=\"Component-Component\" class=\"e8zc9q40 css-1xdhyk6 ec74h0k0\">In July, hotpot chain <span data-qa=\"Component-Text\" class=\"css-0 ef9u0v00\">Haidilao<\/span> entered the segment with Huanxianbao, or \u201cFresh Burger\u201d, a chain selling burgers, as well as pizza, \u2060pasta and fried chicken. Coffee chain M Stand has also opened burger-focused outlets in some cities.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/lifestyle\/food-drink\/article\/3364275\/pizza-hut-haidilao-why-chinas-fast-food-chains-are-turning-burgers?utm_source=rss_feed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Burgers are having a moment in mainland China, with budget-conscious diners and smaller households turning the humble sandwich into one of the country\u2019s hottest fast-food&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7046,7127,6292,11986,3586,9036,3841,6213],"class_list":["post-77243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bored-interesting","tag-burgers","tag-chains","tag-chinas","tag-fastfood","tag-haidilao","tag-hut","tag-pizza","tag-turning","wpcat-33-id"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=77243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77243\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/77244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=77243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=77243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}