Texas Chicken: Key takeaways
- Texas Chicken’s Shanghai debut attracted two-hour queues and 800–900 daily orders, but early Dianping reviews were mixed
- Its smaller Chinese menu omits the chain’s signature Honey-Butter Biscuits and apple pies
- Popeyes’ experience shows that Texas Chicken’s 600-store target depends on its local partner, supply chain and store economics
Texas Chicken’s first mainland customers were willing to pay more to avoid standing in line than they’d pay for the cost of the chicken. Granted it was raining when the American fast-food chain opened on Shanghai’s Wujiang Road on 28 August, and that wouldn’t have been nice in queues two hours long.
Professional queuers offered to stand in for RMB100–150 (US$14–21), while a six-piece bucket cost RMB89.90 (US$12.60). The menu ranges from RMB9–139.90 (US$1.25–19.60), with its signature Armour Crispy Chicken (铠甲脆皮鸡) priced at RMB15.90 (US$2.20) per piece.
Overseas sharing portions have been reduced for China, but more conspicuous is what has disappeared: the brand’s signature Honey-Butter Biscuits and apple pies are both absent, despite customers asking for them.
That hype still needs to become repeat custom
That leaves the Shanghai outlet trading on American heritage as much as it does American food. The store has a wooden frontage – presumably mock-western – and is hung with signage professing North American legendary fried chicken. Hype was the obvious driver behind this decision making. That hype still needs to become repeat custom.
The store has reportedly been processing 800–900 orders each day, but Dianping reviews have been mixed. A week into operation the store had more than 300 reviews but held a rating of only 3.3. Some customers offered praise. Others complained about dry meat and overwhelmed service.
The Dao view: Queues do not guarantee growth
Texas Chicken plans to open at least 600 Chinese restaurants. That would be equivalent to roughly 29% of its current global network. Popeyes comes to mind here. They opened in Shanghai in 2020, attracting queues of up to eight hours and no doubt a micro industry of professional queuers.
Texas Chicken plans to open at least 600 Chinese restaurants
They also had a 1,500-store target. By 2023, all nine of its original mainland restaurants had closed. Popeyes Chinese expansion collapsed because of a dispute with its local operator.
Its subsequent recovery under new management is what Texas Chicken should be thinking about: your local partner, supply chain and store economics matter more than the length of the opening-day queue.
