The China Twist: An entrepreneur's cautious tales on franchising in China

Two young Wharton MBA graduates competed for and won their bid for exclusive China Master Franchise rights for one of America s beloved snack brands, Auntie Anne s Pretzels. Leaving their lucrative careers in private equity and consulting, they landed in Beijing with big dreams, few connections and no experience in China. From the outset, they encountered non-stop challenges. Common business tasks in the United States were nightmarish obstacles in China, from registering a company, to importing supplies, to navigating local labor laws. Ridiculous distractions waylaid their franchise, from dealing with a thug employee to accidentally incapacitating their entire staff. Informative as well as entertaining, the authors detail the challenges in launching and localizing a Western concept for the Chinese market, such as coining the term for pretzel and Auntie Anne s in Chinese, testing theoretical marketing strategies and even spending time in the kitchen to develop new products for the Chinese palette. This exciting first-hand account of serves as a fun and illustrative guide (or warning) for anyone considering doing business in China. Be prepared for a China twist, a process that can resemble a modern version of Chinese Water Torture.