(Fighting New Crown Pneumonia) Self-rescue and other salvation of Chongqing's catering industry under the epidemic

China News Network, Chongqing, February 22, title: Self-help and other rescue of Chongqing's catering industry under the epidemic

Author Dai Juan Liu Xianglin

Chongqing, which is famous for its food, was the hottest season of the catering industry around the Spring Festival. However, the sudden outbreak has silenced the supposedly lively restaurants.

Under the epidemic situation, what is the status of Chongqing's catering industry? Where do they go from here? The reporter learned that the Chongqing catering industry has been striving to seek self-help and other rescues, waiting for progress, seeking development while suffering, and looking for hope while looking forward.

The picture shows the staff of Chongqing Hot Pot Restaurant picking up the takeaway and preparing it for delivery to customers. Photo by Zhou Yi

Catering industry in severe situation or severe disaster area

"The catering industry may be one of the most affected industries, especially for large and medium-sized catering companies," said Yu Bin, chairman of Chongqing Caixiangyuan Catering Culture Co., Ltd., admitting that the Spring Festival schedule in previous years was the most popular in the catering industry. time. Perhaps the Spring Festival came earlier this year. Chongqing's catering industry started well in early January. Various dinners and banquets are full, and the company's stocking is also sufficient.

After the outbreak, the Chongqing Catering Chamber of Commerce issued a proposal for the first time. The city's 1987 catering member companies took the initiative to respond to the call in a timely manner, strictly implemented the government's suspension of operations and delayed resumption of work, closed all operating stores, and minimized the possibility of crowds Coming infection risk.

"The epidemic situation amplifies the problems faced by the catering industry in a short time." Yan Dongsheng, chairman of Chongqing Minxian Catering Management Co., Ltd., bluntly stated that not only the current revenue has been greatly reduced, but also the problems of rent, labor and raw material costs have become prominent.

Yan Qi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the Chongqing Catering Chamber of Commerce, who has been closely following the development of the catering industry, believes that the main loss of catering companies at present is that they cannot operate normally due to prevention and control requirements. Without operating income, they must also bear the loss of expired reserves of ingredients. Pay employees 'salaries, loan interest, supplier payment, store rent and related expenses, etc. At the same time, they must pay extra protective equipment and facilities for employees' epidemic prevention.

"The catering industry is facing a very severe test." Yan Qi said that catering companies are not profitable and are greatly affected by the market environment. If sales continue to not improve, there may be a tension in the capital chain within 3 months. Not only small and medium enterprises are difficult, but large enterprises are also difficult.

Finding business opportunities in the crisis of catering industry

Facing the "cold winter" brought about by the epidemic, Chongqing catering companies did not settle themselves, but sought "opportunities" from "crisis" and worked hard to "self-help".

"This epidemic has allowed us to see new business opportunities." The "business opportunities" described by Chongqing Yong Zhou's hot pot brand founder Zhou Yonglin is just takeaway. "Previously we had 8 stores in the main city, but we haven't launched takeaway business."

The outbreak caused Brother Zhou's hot pot to officially launch hot pot take-out on the first day of the new year. "At present, the takeaway turnover has exceeded 1.8 million yuan. Although it is only 20% to 30% of the normal level, it is also a business in vain."

Similarly, Zhu Junfeng, the owner of the well-known brand Chongqing Geleshanlinzhongle Spicy Chicken, also launched online takeout in the face of cancelled orders and warehouse stocks of nearly 200,000 yuan. "In the past, our takeaways were mainly repeat customers. After the launch of online takeaways, the average daily sales were around 10,000 yuan."

On February 9, it was learned that there was a team of experts from outside the Chongqing Public Health Medical Treatment Center, and Zhu Junfeng immediately decided to deliver food for free for the team of experts. "Now the country is in trouble and we need everyone to warm up. We will provide them with free take-out until the epidemic is over."

During this time, Chongqing Minxian Catering Management Co., Ltd. also actively launched self-help actions to warm up the group and overcome the difficult times, including reducing the annual management fee for its sister Sister Hotpot Wuhan store and reducing the management of more than 50 franchise stores in the country for two months. fee. At the same time, we use multi-channels such as Meituan Takeaway, Hungry, and WeChat Public Account to develop hot pot takeaway.

The picture shows Chongqing citizens cooking hot pot at home after buying it. Photo by Zhou Yi

Need to practice internal skills in response to changes in the catering industry

"Now what people think about most is how to survive, to survive first, and then to seek development." Yu Bin, who had experienced SARS, believes that the catering industry was also very injured during the SARS year, but it ushered in "revenge" after the epidemic ended. Growth, many companies have risen successfully. "As long as we guarantee food and accommodation, employees will definitely survive if they don't leave."

"Recently, various policies have been introduced across the country to support the healthy and stable development of enterprises and win the fight against epidemic prevention and control, which has given enterprises a peace of mind." Yan Qi said that Chongqing officials have recently launched a second-level support for small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome difficulties. Ten policies and measures, full of dry goods. The Bank of Communications Chongqing Branch proactively granted 10 billion yuan in credit to members of the Chongqing Catering Chamber of Commerce, which strengthened the company's development confidence.

But it cannot be denied that this epidemic will definitely have a transformative effect on the future development of the catering industry. Yan Qi believes that future adjustments and changes in public health supervision, market supervision, consumer spending habits, and spending power will have a huge impact on the industry. To this end, catering enterprises should continuously improve on the road of refinement, differentiation, intelligence, collaboration, and openness.

Yan Qi said that the more difficult it is, the more it is time for enterprises to practice internal skills and improve their skills. Catering companies should now think about it, reform online and offline business models, optimize organizational structures, improve staff quality, enhance internal governance effectiveness, and do a good job in food safety. The opportunity came to catch it.

After soliciting suggestions from many catering industry leaders, the Chongqing Restaurant Association called on the government and relevant departments to focus on eight policy measures, including the introduction of special policies and measures to help large well-known brand catering companies and leading enterprises to solve their problems; Fiscal and tax support policies; Encourage catering companies to implement flexible employment, promptly issue guidance on salaries and benefits for employees who ceased business during the epidemic, and reduce corporate labor costs; strengthen financial support, and encourage banks and financial institutions to refrain from drawing loans from catering companies, continuously lending, No pressure on loans to resolve the liquidity crisis; propose to reduce the rent and property management fees of catering companies; reduce the production and operating costs of catering companies, significantly reduce the energy consumption charges for water, electricity, gas and other charges, and reduce and exempt various municipal and regional charges; protect according to law In the interests of catering companies, the epidemic was declared an irresistible emergency in a timely manner, and the consequences and losses caused by force majeure shall be borne by the enterprise and the supplier according to the legal provisions and contractual agreements; strengthen the guidance for the prevention and control of the epidemic situation of the enterprise To guide companies to return to the factory Isolation management and control of employees to avoid one-size-fits-all isolation management and control, resulting in difficulties in employment.

The key to stable economy and employment is to stabilize enterprises. Yan Qi said that the catering industry is also a basic hub industry, with a long industrial chain, and has a unique advantage in helping poor areas to escape poverty. It is urgently hoped that the government and relevant departments can issue special policies in time to support the catering enterprises to overcome difficulties in a safe, stable and orderly manner.