China's consumer spending remains sluggish, but the arrival of a new American fried-chicken chain shows there's still an appetite for an affordable indulgence.
Church's Texas Chicken opened its first mainland China location in Shanghai on Friday, drawing customers who waited in the rain for more than two hours, local media reported.
Staff told Chinese news outlet Lanjing News that the restaurant was handling about 800 to 900 orders a day.
The lines have spawned a small side hustle. People on Chinese resale platforms were advertising queueing services for 100 to 150 yuan, or up to about $22, the outlet reported. That's more than the 89.90 yuan price of a six-piece bucket.
The opening also drew attention on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, where the hashtag "American fried-chicken giant opens first China store" became a hot topic.
"I can't believe that in 2026, people are still lining up for hours for a fried-chicken restaurant opening. I thought it was 1996," one user wrote.
Another joked: "When you eat it, you have to say: 'This is exactly the same taste I had when I was studying in Texas.' That's what makes it classy enough."
Others questioned whether the initial enthusiasm would last. One Weibo user said early reactions to the food had been mixed, and said some overseas menu items weren't available in Shanghai.
The crowds stand out against cautious consumer spending and a prolonged property downturn in China.
Spending on services has held up better than spending on goods. Retail sales of services rose 5% in the first seven months of the year, compared with 1.1% growth in retail sales of goods, official data showed. Catering revenue rose 2.6% over the same period.
Church's has plans to go much bigger in China. The chain, founded in Texas in 1952, signed its largest international development agreement with the Chinese operator Deke Shengtang, with plans to develop at least 600 restaurants across the country over the next several years.
It's entering a crowded market that includes KFC, McDonald's, and domestic fried-chicken chains. KFC, which opened its first restaurant in China in 1987, had over 13,000 locations in the country as of the end of June.
Church's Texas Chicken did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
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