PepsiCo’s Lay’s brand has opened what it describes as China’s first Lay’s Potato Restaurant, a limited-time experiential concept located in Shanghai’s Xintiandi district. The restaurant, which opened on April 27, combines a potato-focused menu, branded design, and collaborations with chefs and a fashion label.
The concept is framed by PepsiCo as part of its efforts to grow in the away-from-home channel and create new consumption occasions for the Lay’s brand beyond traditional snacking.
“As part of PepsiCo’s growth strategy, we’re connecting our brands to the food experiences consumers are increasingly seeking—creating new ways to enjoy Lay’s beyond traditional snacking and helping unlock new occasions in the away-from-home channel,” said Nina Mu, Chief Marketing Officer, Greater China Foods, PepsiCo.
“Shanghai is an exciting test-and-learn market for us, and this restaurant brings together culinary creativity, culture and partnerships in a way that can inform how we build brands across geographies.”
The menu draws on potatoes as its central ingredient, spanning appetizers, mains, desserts, and beverages across Eastern and Western culinary techniques. Four Shanghai-exclusive mashed potato dishes — pairing a creamy base with strawberry, mango, shrimp, and octopus — are among the featured items.
For the opening, Lay’s collaborated with Michelin-starred chef Francesco Bonvini and chef Tian Shuai on a limited-time menu structured around the potato’s journey from planting and harvest through to the finished chip.
This restaurant brings together culinary creativity, culture and partnerships in a way that can inform how we build brands across geographies.
The space spans two floors. The ground floor features potato-and-chip-inspired design elements, while the second floor includes tabletop displays tracing the production process from farm to factory, along with a terrace and private dining rooms. A retail zone sells limited-edition Lay’s merchandise, including co-branded items.
Lay’s also partnered with fashion brand 8ON8 on art installations for the restaurant, including façade characters depicting the transformation from potato to chip.
PepsiCo described the Shanghai opening as a test-and-learn model intended to inform future experiential activations across markets.
