Given the 120 to 130 yuan monthly salary of Beijing urban residents at that time, KFC prices were not affordable to most, but many still flocked to the store. The KFC store had many attractions. Besides the delicious and crispy fried chicken, there was the image of an affable Colonel Sanders, the striking red, white and blue decor, the smiling attendants and the quick service.

The success of the Beijing KFC prompted the chain to open more stores in China's major cities. By the end of 1992, there were nine KFCs on the mainland.

KFC's booming sales also provided a big incentive to McDonald's to enter the Chinese market in October 1990. The leading global fast food chain chose Shenzhen, a major southern city where there was no KFC at the time, to open its first 500-seat store on Jiefang Road, in the city's busiest area. Its Ronald McDonald clown, yellow M logo and Big Mac helped McDonald's quickly won over local consumers. A plaque on the store's wall testifies to its historic significance in Chinese culinary cultural history.

That same year, Pizza Hut opened its first restaurant at Dongzhimen in Beijing. Pizza Hut brought in another new fast food concept, that of "casual dining". Customers were greeted warmly at the door, escorted to their tables and dined in a relaxed atmosphere with music playing in the background. It was in sharp contrast to poor service consumers had long encountered at local restaurants.

Despite the attractiveness of these fast food chains, local consumers in those early days could seldom afford to eat at KFC, McDonald's or Pizza Hut. The most frequent customers were foreigners living in China. Dining at these establishments was considered such a luxury that some couples chose to hold their small wedding banquets there.