Making the Hamburger Chinese Food : Franchises: Carl’s Jr. beats rival McDonald’s to Beijing in fast-food race.

Americans have been happily gulping chow mein and egg rolls for years. Earlier this week, citizens of the Chinese capital of Beijing got their first taste of that quintessential staple of the American diet: the fast-food hamburger.

Carl’s Jr. has brought its distinctive Happy Star to Beijing, beating archrival McDonald’s to the Chinese capital by at least a month.

The licensed version of the Anaheim-based restaurant chain represents the latest in a string of international franchising agreements Carl Karcher Enterprises has executed.

“Hamburgers are still not well understood” in China, said Steve Kishi, a Karcher Enterprises vice president, in a telephone interview from Beijing. “There wasn’t much available on the market.”

Except for places, like hotels, that cater to foreign visitors, burgers are hard to find in Beijing. Kishi said many of the restaurant’s initial customers are Chinese who may have tried hamburgers before, either in China or on travels abroad.

The new Carl’s Jr. is part of an international food court that was developed by a Hong Kong licensee, Hop Hing Holdings Ltd.

The restaurant is nestled in an enclave of “foreign” fast-food purveyors including Dairy Queen, Golden Skillet Fried Chicken and Yoshinoya Beef Bowl.

So far, Kishi said, the Japanese-style beef bowl restaurant appears to be getting the most business because it serves rice-based dishes that are the most familiar to the Chinese.

But tastes will change, he predicted, with the Chinese coming to know and love the hamburger.

The appearance soon of rival McDonald’s Golden Arches in Beijing, Kishi said, will help Carl’s Jr. because of the extensive awareness it will create about hamburgers.

“I actually believe McDonald’s will be good for us because it will increase the consumer awareness that hamburger is good food,” he said. “Hamburgers are available here, but the quality is poor.”

The Chinese version of Carl’s Famous Star burger is smaller than its American counterparts in keeping with Asian preferences. The mustard is spicier and the pickles have less of a dill taste. But it’s also cheaper, selling for the Chinese equivalent of $1.15.

Kishi said the price is within reach of the average Chinese worker.

“There is a big misnomer about the Chinese consumer. They have money in their pockets to burn,” he said. He pointed out that even though Carl’s Jr. is offering a popular Chinese milk drink for 16 cents, Coca-Cola has been the restaurant’s best-selling drink at 95 cents.