Mr. Rice: The Ubiquitous White, Green, and Yellow.

Mr. Rice: A Rising Star in Chinese Fast Food

In recent years, a fast-food brand called Mr. Rice (大米先生) has become a familiar name in Changsha. It was recently named one of the “Top Chinese Fast Food Brands” by the China Cuisine Association—one of only three brands from Hunan on the list.

How did Mr. Rice grow so quickly in just 7 years?

A Brand That Keeps Up with the Times

The first Mr. Rice store in Hunan opened in 2012 at a busy intersection in downtown Changsha. It’s part of Country Style Cooking (CSC), a well-known Chinese fast-food chain. The store used to be a CSC location before it was rebranded and renovated.

Mr. Rice succeeded by adapting to changes.

Since 2017, it switched from self-service to buffet-style meals. It also upgraded all its stores with open kitchens, so customers can see how the food is made. Today, it has more open kitchens than any other chain in Changsha.

Customer-Focused Dining Experience

The Wuyi Road store uses a green-and-white design with soft lighting and a fully open kitchen. This is Mr. Rice’s third-generation store design. The brand updates its image often to stay modern.

In June, Mr. Rice opened a smart restaurant in Chengdu where customers can check out using facial recognition. This makes dining faster and easier.

But good design isn’t everything.

Mr. Rice stands out by cooking food fresh, not using pre-made dishes.

They stir-fry, steam, boil, and bake right in the kitchen.

They also offer a wide range of dishes: snacks, buns, noodles, and more—so there’s something for everyone at any time of day.

“We want every customer to feel like they’re eating a healthy, homemade meal,” says Zhu Jiang, the brand manager.

That’s why Mr. Rice uses high-quality ingredients like Uni-President oil and Lever Brothers seasonings. They also get fresh produce delivered daily.

Stores everywhere? “That’s the goal!”

By the end of October, Mr. Rice had nearly 400 stores across Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Chongqing. Eighty of those are in Changsha—in business areas, office buildings, hospitals, and neighborhoods. Some buildings even have two stores.

When asked about having so many stores close together, Zhu Jiang said:

“That’s exactly what we want. The ideal distance to a Mr. Rice should be a 5-minute walk. We want to be everywhere.”

Each store offers slightly different dishes based on its location and customers. The development team creates new seasonal dishes, and stores can choose which ones to serve.

Zhu believes that the rapid expansion since 2017 was the right move. It’s impressive how well-managed the stores are—even with so many locations.