Under the epidemic, the catering industry has been greatly affected. While doing a good job in epidemic prevention and control, a series of practical problems such as survival, development, growth, and breaking the circle are placed in front of all catering workers.

Takeaways, stalls, pre-made dishes, semi-finished products, digitization, store closures, optimization of organizations, and calls for more policy support to be implemented. The catering industry is actively exploring the road to "recovery" and development strategies.

　　Since June 6th, it has been nearly two months since Beijing resumed dine-in dining. How has the popularity of the catering industry recovered?

What problems are you still facing?

Where is the "traffic password" of the catering industry in the future?

From July 18th to July 24th, the Beijing News and the Beijing Culinary Association launched a questionnaire survey on the "Road to Resumption of the Catering Industry" for catering enterprises in Beijing, listening to the real voices of catering enterprises, helping catering enterprises to resume work and production, and help fireworks. rekindle.

At the same time, reporters from the Beijing News also interviewed a number of different types of Beijing catering companies to learn on the spot their opinions, suggestions and thoughts on the future of the company in the process of resuming work and production.

　　As of July 24, a total of 134 valid questionnaires have been collected in this survey, covering more than ten meals including hot pot, Chinese-style dinner, Western-style dinner, Chinese-style fast food, Western-style fast food, noodles, cooked food, barbecue, Mala Tang, Japanese cuisine, etc. Enterprise type.

Large enterprises accounted for 22.39%, medium-sized enterprises accounted for 31.34%, and small and micro enterprises accounted for 46.27%.

　　The results of the questionnaire survey show that more than 80% of the catering companies have resumed normal business hours, and more than 60% of the catering companies' passenger flow has returned to more than half of the normal level.

The cost pressure of rent, labor, and ingredients is still relatively high. Nearly 80% of the catering companies interviewed hope that the policy of rent reduction or exemption can be more "inclusive".

　　67.91% of catering companies' passenger flow has returned to more than 50% of the normal level

　　On May 1 this year, catering companies in Beijing suspended dine-in services, and on June 6, catering business units opened dine-in services.

The questionnaire shows that among the 134 catering companies, 116 have resumed normal operations, accounting for 86.57% of the respondents, 4.48% of the catering companies have "some stores have returned to normal", and 8.96% of the catering companies have "not fully recovered." recover".

　　As the dine-in service returns to normal, the "fireworks" of Beijing's catering is gradually heating up.

A reporter from the Beijing News learned from an interview that the passenger flow of many catering companies has returned to 70% of the normal level, and some stores have recovered to 90%. During peak dining hours, there are consumers waiting in line at the door.

This questionnaire survey shows that the catering companies whose customer traffic "returned to more than 50% of the normal level" accounted for 67.91% of the total number of respondents, 13.43% of the catering companies' customer flow "returned to the normal level", and 18.66% of the catering companies Said that the return of passenger flow is "less than 50% of the normal level".

　　The number of stores is reduced and the product line is broadened

　　After the resumption of dine-in, many catering companies said that there have been major changes in corporate personnel, business categories, number of stores, and supply chains.

The Beijing News reporter also learned through interviews that due to the uncertainty of the epidemic in early May, many catering companies have lost a large proportion of their employees.

　　During the suspension of dine-in, many catering companies have increased the sales of convenient and democratic meals, home-cooked dishes, sauces, stewed vegetables, cold dishes and other categories on the basis of the original dishes, broadening their product lines.

After the resumption of dine-in, many catering companies have retained this category, and are considering developing them into community stores and convenience stalls, so as to "prepare for a rainy day" and "walk on multiple legs" while providing convenience and benefit to the people.

　　A reporter from the Beijing News noticed that since last year, some catering companies have been shrinking their stores. Among them, Haidilao has announced that it has decided to gradually close about 300 stores before December 31, 2021. The passenger flow is relatively low and the operating performance is not as good as expected. Haidilao store.

Xiabuxiabu also closed 229 stores last year.

　　Industry insiders believe that, on the one hand, catering companies choose to "break the arm to stop bleeding" and close loss-making restaurants; on the other hand, the catering industry has been seriously affected by the epidemic, and even reshuffled. And seize the "opportunity" and continue to maintain the expansion strategy in good business locations.

　　Rent cost pressure is greatest

　　On June 2, the Beijing Municipal People's Government issued the "Implementation Plan for Coordinating Epidemic Prevention and Control and Stabilizing Economic Growth in Beijing", which clarified that in 2022, small and micro enterprises in the Beijing-registered or tax-paying service industry that lease various types of state-owned houses in Beijing will be exempted. 3-month rent reduction and exemption for individual industrial and commercial households, including 6-month rent reduction for renting state-owned houses in Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai, Fangshan, Tongzhou, Daxing, etc., which are classified as high-risk areas in the epidemic.

　　In this questionnaire survey, 45.52% of the catering companies surveyed said that "some rent reduction opportunities are available", but 38.06% of the catering companies said that "rent reductions or exemptions are not easy to achieve", and another 16.42% of the catering companies said that the current store rent The relief is "under coordination".

　　In the question of "What kind of policy assistance does the company hope to receive?", 79.85% of the interviewed companies hoped to reduce or exempt rent, 66.42% of the respondents chose to hope that the platform would provide more support, and 59.7% of the interviewed companies hoped to be able to use the "distribution" Consumer coupons and other means to stimulate consumption.”

　　A reporter from the Beijing News learned through interviews that at present, most catering companies' rent costs account for 12%-18% of the company's costs.

In this questionnaire survey, 54.48% of the respondents chose "rent cost" as the biggest pressure cost for catering companies to resume work, accounting for the highest proportion.

Secondly, the choice of labor cost and food cost accounted for 30.6% and 8.96% respectively.

In terms of labor costs, the heads of several catering companies said in an interview with a reporter from the Beijing News that there has always been a "labor shortage" in the catering industry.

　　With the outbreak of the epidemic, many catering practitioners from other provinces have left Beijing, and the employment problem has become more prominent. The overall salary level has risen, and many catering companies still have a large employment gap.

In the "Other" option of the questionnaire, some catering companies said that "the difficulty in recruiting grassroots personnel has increased" and "the cost of personnel is more than 20% higher."

　　Growing awareness of the importance of cash flow

　　The epidemic has made it difficult for catering companies to operate normally, and "cash flow" has become one of the "lifelines" that support catering companies to survive the epidemic.

57.46% of the catering companies surveyed said that "the cash flow pressure is very high but can be tolerated".

Since the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020, the word "cash flow" has appeared frequently, and it has also become the focus of attention of catering practitioners.

Wang Hongtao, executive deputy secretary-general of the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, said that one of the various ability tests for the catering industry due to the epidemic is the cash flow test.

"There is food at home, and I don't panic. I still remember that when the epidemic broke out in 2020, the founder of Xibei, Jia Guolong, sent the news that cash flow was tight. This is still the case for the industry's leading companies. It is conceivable that most catering companies are facing cash pressure. "

　　Wang Hongtao said that not all catering companies have sufficient cash flow protection, and many companies have also been forced to make some measures to close stores to stop bleeding.

"Banks are relatively strict in terms of credit risk control for catering companies, and the relationship between supply and demand of funds needs a matching process." The Beijing News reporter noticed through interviews that many heads of catering companies have experienced the epidemic and are becoming more and more aware. Regarding the importance of cash flow, "maintaining a cash flow that can resist risks for at least 1 to 2 months" has become the consensus of many restaurant business owners.

　　48.51% of catering companies plan to develop and sell pre-made dishes

　　The epidemic has had a great impact on the catering industry, but instead of "waiting, relying, and asking", catering workers have done their best to carry out a series of practices that can not only ensure income, but also facilitate the people.

48.51% of the interviewed catering companies chose to "develop and sell pre-made dishes".

The Beijing News reporter noticed that many catering companies have already made efforts on the prefabricated food track.

In March 2021, Wangjiadu Foods, a subsidiary of Meizhou Dongpo, completed a series A financing of nearly 100 million yuan, and Meizhou Dongpo's pre-made vegetables business has entered a new stage.

In April of this year, Jia Guolong's kung fu dish sales increased by 8% compared with the same period last year.

　　Zhou Yanlong, general manager of China Quanjude Group, said in an interview with a reporter from the Beijing News that Quanjude is making efforts to study the transformation of catering products into food, that is, pre-made dishes.

"The needs of 'Generation Z' consumers for eating at home and the way the dishes are presented after they arrive home are the starting points for the logic of our current research and development of pre-made dishes."

　　Industry insiders believe that the catering industry has developed by leaps and bounds.

However, due to the immature management system, industry problems such as difficulty in recruitment, high labor costs, and large personnel turnover have become more prominent.

More and more catering business operators are beginning to realize that the success of a catering business is inseparable from a group of high-quality managers and excellent service personnel.

49.25% of the catering companies surveyed said that they would make adjustments in business direction and product line, and 31.34% of the companies believed that "the number and layout of stores" was the first problem to be solved by the company itself.

　　Written in this edition / Beijing News reporter Wang Ping