Quanjude

Quanjude (, szse: 002186) is a Chinese restaurant chain known for its Peking roast duck and its longstanding culinary heritage since its establishment in 1864 in Beijing, China.

Company profile and branches
The restaurant chain sells over 2 million roast ducks served in 400 different styles to over 5 million customers annually.

After a merger in 2004 with Beijing New Yansha Group, Quanjude is now a part of the Beijing Tourism Group, a state-owned enterprise.

The company's stock is listed on the Shanghai stock exchange.

In China
There are 50 affiliates across China. The first directly run flagship store opened in Changchun, Jilin Province in January 2007.

Beijing
Quanjude has eight direct branches in Beijing. The original location operates in Qianmen with several other branches in other locations in Beijing.

There is a seven-story restaurant on Hepingmen Ave., a location hand-picked by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Serving up to 5,000 meals a day, this restaurant covers a floor area of 15,000 square meters with over forty private dining rooms and can simultaneously seat 2,000 guests.

Having established a history and affiliation with the Chinese government at the municipal and central state level, Quanjude has often been used to hold state banquets and to receive celebrities, dignitaries, and important government figures from over 200 countries as distinguished VIP guests.

Outside China
The first Quanjude restaurant outside China and Taiwan opened in Melbourne, Australia in 2017, and another opened in Sydney in 2018; however, as of 2023, both have closed permanently.

In Canada, QJD operates restaurants in Toronto, Vancouver, and Ottawa; of note, the Vancouver restaurant received a Michelin Star in 2022, and the Ottawa restaurant is simply called "Peking Duck" for unknown reasons.

QJD also operates three restaurants in Tokyo, Japan, as well as a restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal.

History
Quanjude was established in 1864 during the Qing dynasty under the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor. Although Peking duck can trace its history many centuries back, Quanjude's heritage of roast duck preparation – using open ovens and non-smoky hardwood fuel such as Chinese date, peach, or pear to add a subtle fruity flavor with a golden crisp to the skin – was originally reserved for the imperial families.

The first Quanjude manager, Yang Renquan, who started out selling chicken and ducks, paid a retired chef from the palace for the imperial recipe. Soon after, Quanjude began to serve roast duck from the imperial kitchen to the common masses. Yang Renquan opened his first, small Dejuquan (德聚全, the three characters being reversed from the current name) inside Yangrou Hutong in Qianmen (前門), which at the time was one of the busiest areas in Beijing. His restaurant became an instant success and has since grown into the current branch in Qianmen that employs over 400 staff members and can occupy 900 guests at one time. The Qianmen restaurant, along with the many other Quanjude branches, together form one of the largest food enterprises in the nation.

After the 1949 establishment of the People's Republic of China, Quanjude was gradually collectivized.