Hot pot plus desserts get more popular

During summer, the combination of hot pot with desserts has become a new trend in the catering industry, attracting numerous diners. Innovation has become the secret to survival and endurance for catering enterprises.

Combinations like hot pot with desserts or barbecue with milk tea, and other innovative measures such as live streaming and product promotion on online platforms like Douyin, are helping companies recover.

Recently, the China Chain Store & Franchise Association and Pricewaterhouse Coopers, a famous accounting firm in China, have release the "2023 Series of Reports on the Capital Journey of Chinese Chain Catering Enterprises." Research findings on the recovery of chain catering brands in the first quarter of this year indicated that over 60% of brands performed better in terms of revenue compared to the same period in 2022, with rapid recovery seen particularly in the hot pot, Chinese fast food, and formal dining categories.
In recent years, many catering brands have adopted a positioning strategy focusing on community, small-scale operations, and uniqueness to offer higher value-for-money goods to local residents.

Currently, the younger generation has become the main force in consumption. The dining industry is creating not only a place to savor delicious food but also a social space where people are willing to linger, experience, and connect with each other.

As a consequence, introducing beverages like milk tea, coffee, and desserts into traditional meal enterprises aligns with the preferences of young people.

Source: Economic Daily; trans-editing by Wang Yunya