"Fifteen years ago, their restaurant was still a high-end choice for Chinese food, and I didn't expect it would go bankrupt." Recently, Taiwanese restaurant Yichayisi was deeply in bankruptcy. Many netizens wrote their memories and feelings on Meituan Dianping.

　　According to an announcement issued by the official WeChat account of the Yicha Yizuo restaurant a few days ago, due to the closure of the store, the refund of prepaid cards will be carried out.

On December 19, a reporter from the Beijing News found that all 17 stores in Shanghai were closed, and the prepaid card can be refunded.

The only two franchise stores in Beijing are still in business, and they can also refund the card.

　　Experts said that the catering industry is renewing and developing very fast, and new catering brands continue to emerge. As a brand more than ten years ago, Yichayizuo has not been continuously upgraded and will inevitably lead to decline.

Under the epidemic situation, cash flow breakage and lack of financing capacity will directly accelerate the closure of these restaurants.

17 stores in Shanghai are closed

　　After the large-scale closure of Shanghai Yichayisi in April of this year, Yichayisi fell into a bankruptcy eight months later.

On December 16, the official WeChat account of Yichayizuo showed that due to the closure of stores and the failure of normal redemption of prepaid cards, Shanghai Yichayizuo Catering Co., Ltd. entrusted Shanghai to protect consumers’ rights and interests. Purpose Prepaid Card Association started the work of refunding prepaid cards with one tea and one sitting.

According to the announcement, consumers who hold a one-tea-one-seat membership card can scan the QR code on the page for online registration of card refund before March 19, 2021.

The refund period is from March 30, 2021 to April 26, 2021.

Network screenshot

　　In fact, the bankruptcy of a cup of tea and a cup of tea has already begun.

The Beijing News reported in April this year that nearly 50% of the stores in Shanghai have been closed, leaving only Qibao Vanke Store, Zhongsheng World Mall Store, Zhongshan Park Dragon Dream Store, Hongkou Dragon Dream Store, Xingyou City Store, Eight stores of Jiangqiao Wanda Store, Bailian Zhenguang Road Store, and Zijing Square Store are open normally.

　　On December 19, a reporter from the Beijing News searched the Meituan APP and found that Meituan included a total of 17 restaurants with a tea and a sitting in Shanghai, all of which were closed, including the above 8 restaurants.

Many netizens wrote their memories and feelings on Meituan Dianping after learning that a tea was closed.

"Remember that 15 years ago, their home was still a high-end choice of Chinese food. I didn’t expect it would be closed down now. It’s really not seen in the past few years. Their dishes are typical Taiwanese dishes, clean and delicious, but they have no special features. After using it up, I haven't been there in nearly six or seven years." A netizen said.

　　Regarding the successive wave of closures of Shanghai stores, the manager of Qibao Vanke store once said in an interview with a reporter from the Beijing News, “This store usually has a normal business. During the epidemic, the store’s business was not good and many of the money owed to the property had to be paid. Store closed.” In addition, in the first half of this year, the top management of Shanghai Yicha Yizu Catering Co., Ltd., the operator of Yicha Yizuo, also resigned successively. According to Tianyan Check, on March 30, the company’s legal representative Lin Shengzhi withdrew and changed to Shen Fangyu. ; On the same day, directors Wu Jialin, Ma Xiaoxing and supervisor Cao Bin withdrew.

Beijing one tea and one sitting can handle card refund matters

　　How about the operation of the one-tea-one-sit Beijing store? Is it closed?

At noon on December 19, a reporter from the Beijing News came to the Ginza store in Dongzhimen, Beijing. The restaurant was open for business. Although there was no queue during peak hours, there were many diners.

The recharge discount poster in front of the cashier counter is eye-catching. The poster shows "For old members, please contact the on-site staff to replace the new version of the membership card."

　　When the reporter asked whether it was possible to recharge as a consumer, the staff said "Yes."

When asked about the doubt that the Shanghai headquarters had issued a refund notice, the staff responded that their restaurant now uses a new system, which is different from that in Shanghai, which is equivalent to re-applying a card and recharging.

"Our store is a franchise store, and it belongs to the same company as the (Beijing) Zhuang Sheng Sogo Department Store. In March this year (the boss) took over these two stores." The staff member said that the card was returned on December 16. Previously, the old membership card could be used, but just a few days ago, the original cash register system was no longer available. "The old membership card cannot be used now, and I heard that the headquarters has closed down."

　　What about consumers with old membership cards?

The staff replied that the card can be refunded online on the WeChat official account of the headquarters, or the physical membership card can be handed over to them and registered, and the restaurant will refund the card on its behalf.

The Beijing News reporter saw from the registration form provided by the staff that 5 members have registered the card refund information.

Has repeatedly joined the storm

　　According to public information, one tea and one sitting comes from Taiwan, China. It focuses on Taiwanese cuisine and opened its first store in Shanghai in 2002.

With the business model of “most direct operation, few franchise”, it has been stationed in 23 cities including Beijing, Hangzhou, and Wuhan with the help of capital. During the period of high light, it opened hundreds of stores. In 2010, it also announced that it would be listed within 3 years.

　　The capital behind one tea and one sitting cannot be underestimated.

The Tianyancha App shows that there have been 4 financing journeys for One Tea and One Sitting. They raised US$14 million, US$10.68 million, US$23 million and US$14 million in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2015, totaling US$61.6 million. , Leading investment institutions include IDG Capital, GGV Jiyuan Capital, SMI, etc.

　　However, in recent years, there has been an increasing number of public opinions about one tea and one sitting.

According to previous media reports, after entering the mainland market, Yicha Yizuo continued to lose money until 2009, and many franchisees broke out. In 2008 and 2009, several franchisees filed lawsuits against Yicha Yizuo, claiming that it was fraudulent when joining. , Demanding compensation for economic losses.

In 2016, the franchisees in Wuhan “run away” after issuing stored-value cards. At that time, the company’s headquarters responded that “the franchisees privately issued stored-value cards without the consent of the headquarters.” According to a 2017 report, Lin Shengzhi, CEO of Yicha Yizuo, admitted that due to unclear positioning and failure to meet consumer demand, decision-making errors affect profitability, more than 50% of the stores have to be closed.

Behind the decline of the brand

　　The store list on the official website of Yicha Yizuo shows that the brand has 53 stores, mainly in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Wuxi, Suzhou, Hangzhou and other places.

The Beijing News reporter noted that the operator of "One Tea One Seat" is Shanghai One Tea One Seat Catering Co., Ltd. The Tianyan Check App shows that the company has 276 risks, 144 peripheral risks, and 33 warning alerts.

It is worth noting that since this year, Shen Fangyu, executive director of Shanghai Yicha Yizu Catering Co., Ltd., has imposed 38 consumption restrictions.

　　"When the one tea one sits first came out, the brand was very fashionable, representing a desktop lifestyle. This is why it was able to quickly open the market and spread across the country in the early years." Researcher at Beijing Institute of Finance and Trade Management, China Federation of Commerce Lai Yang, a member of the Expert Committee, told the Beijing News that the catering industry is renewing and developing very fast, and new catering brands continue to emerge. This kind of aesthetic and consumption that remained ten years ago will inevitably lead to weakening of brand influence.

"Today's first-tier shopping malls have long lost sight of a tea and a sitting restaurant. It is not so much caused by the epidemic, it is better to say that this brand has long since fallen."

　　According to Lai Yang analysis, “for some declining restaurant brands, under the epidemic, their cash flow is broken and they have no financing capacity, which will directly accelerate the closure of these restaurants, and the epidemic will become the last straw to overwhelm these brands.” And some strong catering brands. , Not only has a strong capital flow or financing ability to survive the epidemic crisis, but it will become stronger after the epidemic eases, and it will also swallow and occupy the market share vacated by these failed brands.

　　With the large-scale closure of stores and card withdrawals this year, the closure of one tea and one sitting seems to be a foregone conclusion.

Jiang Junxian, president of the Chinese Cuisine Association, said in an interview with a reporter from the Beijing News that the epidemic will cause a new round of reshuffle in the catering industry. At present, the phenomenon of reshuffle seems to have gradually emerged.

　　Beijing News reporter Ouyang Xiaojuan/photo