“Hamburgers” and “foreigners” go together like “white on rice”. In the province of Jiangxi, however, people were able to actually watch a foreigner make and sell hamburgers on the street, causing something of a sensation. But it didn’t last long.

A foreigner living in Changzhou has had his roadside hamburger stall shut down by the local chengguan, but not before gathering a clientele with a taste for American fast food, reports People’s Daily Online.

Reportedly named “Randy”, the 62 year-old US citizen made and sold hamburgers, hot dogs, and other US-style fast food by the side of the road. While Randy’s hamburgers cost RMB 15, more than those at KFC, Randy made each hamburger by hand.

Word of this foreigner and his delicious, exotic delicacies hit the internet on August 7. As a topic on local forums, netizens left comments such as “This makes me feel strange. Laowai still need to make a living?” and “I hope the laowai doesn’t use gutter oil.” Randy’s hand-made hamburgers have gained so much interest that some netizens sought out his address to give them a try.

According to Master Shen who lives nearby, Randy’s hamburger roadside stall saw an increase of customers after coming to prominence online. On weekends, Randy’s hamburgers would attract about a hundred people who congregated in the area. The hamburgers became so popular that one person even left a card with a nearby store asking them to notify them whenever he appeared.

However, Randy and his hamburgers were not meant for the road. The chengguan of Hutang County, Wujin District shut him down because street stalls aren’t allowed in the area.

However, don’t feel too band for Randy. In addition to selling hamburgers, he is also a senior executive at a local company. Apparently Randy had been selling burgers as a means of conducting market research to determine whether or not there is a market for Americian style burgers in Changzhou. According to an acquaintance named Xiao Wen, Randy is hoping to open his own American fast food restaurant there.

In another report from Caijing, the chengguan came and left without incident, even shaking Randy’s hand as they departed. The friendly treatment to a foreigner rubbed some people the wrong way, considering the chengguan’s otherwise violent reputation. Here are some comments:

Superfrau_Diana：
Are they temporary workers? (referring to the common excuse used when chengguan are caught acting improperly) Why don’t they treat their own countrymen better?

天使的暗恋365：
(The chengguan) don’t breakdown the great foreigners stall upon sight? They’ll bully their own people because they have the capability to do so? What garbage.

张文荟zwh：
(His stall) hasn’t been smashed?

王艹田：
Why must they treat their own countrymen so rough and rude?

Megni_：
Preferential treatment.

Lost_Lemon：
Actually, the operations of chengguan have gotten much more civil lately. Although they haven’t be able to get rid of the worst elements, things have still been getting considerably better. This is something that can’t be denied.

小方块老犯二：
It must be because (the foreigner’s) stall is so clean, it stunned the chengguan (into a stupor). Simply speaking, this is what will bring economic balance to a broken market…

Related:

• Shirtless Expats Selling Burgers A Hit At Liaoning Night Market [UPDATED]
• Almost Nothing Left on the Menu at McDonald’s in Beijing
• Here’s What The Beijing Times Thinks Of People Who Eat Foreign Fast Food
• If You Dine At KFC or Pizza Hut, You Might Eat Expired Meat

Photos: People’s Daily Online, Caijing