Tastien

Tastien began in 2012 as a handmade pizza shop in Nanchang, in Jiangxi province, and only added burgers in 2017. The turning point came in 2018, when it replaced the usual soft, buttery burger bun with a bun rolled out by hand and baked in the shop, using the techniques of Chinese dough-making; the bun and the minced fillings are inspired by roujiamo, the meat-stuffed flatbread of Shaanxi street food. In 2019 it rebranded around the idea of the “Chinese burger”.

It opened to franchisees in 2021 and expanded at extraordinary speed, especially in second- and third-tier cities. By 2022 it was the fourth-largest Western-style fast-food brand in mainland China by number of outlets, behind Wallace, KFC and McDonald’s, and by April 2024 it had more than 7,200 restaurants in over 340 cities. It is now based in Fuzhou, and its slogan translates as “a Chinese stomach loves a Chinese burger”.

The style is part of the “neo-Chinese” trend of dressing traditional culture in modern branding. Prices are around a third lower than at the big Western chains. The fillings change often but borrow from Chinese dishes: over the years they have included mapo tofu, braised pork with preserved mustard greens, fish-fragrant shredded pork and Peking duck, alongside fried chicken thighs seasoned the Chinese way.

Thousands of franchised restaurants across mainland China, many in smaller cities.

• Laya Burger (Taiwan, since 2002). One of Taiwan’s big three breakfast chains, now baking its burger buns from an 18-hour sourdough. Also built on chicken, beef and heat.
• Lucky Pierrot (Japan, since 1987). Hakodate’s beloved local burger chain, with circus-themed shops and a sweet-and-spicy Chinese Chicken Burger. Also built on chicken, beef and heat.
• Wat-a-Burger (India, since 2016). “India ka Burger”: aloo tikki, paneer and tandoori makhani burgers from Noida. Also built on chicken and beef.
• Q Burger (Taiwan, since 2013). Taiwan’s fast-growing breakfast chain, where burgers are what you eat at seven in the morning. Also built on chicken and beef.