Open 24 hours, about 60 yuan per person, take the dishes by yourself
Are you willing to try the "unmanned hot pot restaurant"?
A 65-square-meter store with 9 sets of tables and chairs and 6 freezers. Going further inside, you can see the self-service seasoning area, tableware storage area, and kitchen waste cleaning area... This is located on Shuying Street, Jinniu District, Chengdu. Yang Yuchu unmanned hotpot restaurant near No. 12 (hereinafter referred to as Yang Yuchu).
Different from traditional hot pot restaurants, this hot pot restaurant basically realizes 24-hour self-service operation, and there will be service personnel only within a certain period of time.
The reporter checked multiple platforms and found that "unmanned hotpot restaurants" are still new in Chengdu.
According to media reports, unmanned hotpot restaurants have already landed in other regions.
In Hongjinhua’s 24-hour unmanned hotpot restaurant in Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, consumers need to mix the bottom of the pot, pick up the dishes, and clear the table by themselves; in Nangang District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, the 24-hour unmanned hotpot can be taken with a face brush. Dish, feel the service provided by the small robot...
Regarding unmanned hotpot restaurants, Yuan Xiaoran, executive chairman and secretary general of Chengdu Catering Industry Association, said, "This unmanned business model can save some labor costs and attract some groups to try early adopters." However, unmanned hotpot restaurants are hygienic, How to ensure safety issues?
Can it become a new outlet for the catering industry?
On February 7, a reporter from Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star News visited an unmanned hotpot restaurant in Chengdu and talked to industry professionals.
Per capita consumption of 60 yuan, there are waiters within the specified time period
Yang Yuchu started operations at the end of September 2021 and has been open for five months so far.
Yang Liang, the owner of the restaurant, said that he has a long-term experience in the catering industry. "Since 2013, I have been making late-night snacks such as maocai and grilled fish. However, in recent years, the labor cost of the traditional catering industry has become higher and higher. This model is actually worth trying.”
Yang Liang introduced that after entering the store, consumers can pick up pots, bowls and chopsticks and other dining tools at the back.
Before coming to the freezer, the reporter noticed that the food is divided into meat and vegetables, the bottom of the pot, and the wine area.
"Meat and vegetables are packaged in boxes, and the bottom of the pot is also sealed." Yang Liang explained that consumers can choose dishes by scanning the code with their mobile phones.
According to the actual measurement of the reporter, it is found that after scanning the code, it will enter the "smart retail" applet, and take out a box of vegetables and the price will be displayed.
"The price on the phone is almost the same as the price marked on the freezer. Sometimes there may be some price difference due to different weights. After taking it out and closing the door, the applet will automatically deduct the money."
The store currently offers five flavored pot bases.
"In the water receiving area, we will mark the amount of water required for each pot bottom on each kettle, and customers can follow the prompts to add the bottom of the pot." Yang Liang said, after the operation is completed, you can directly turn on the induction cooker to enjoy the food.
What should I do if food is out of stock?
The reporter noticed that the sticker at the door said, "There are service staff from 17:00-22:00".
During this period, there was only one waiter in the store. "She is mainly responsible for replenishing goods, cleaning and sanitation, washing the bottom of the pot, etc. Because there are still some customers who do not empty the bottom of the pot after eating, or do not turn off the induction cooker, it is still necessary to leave someone to check. situation." Yang Liang said.
When it comes to the current operating conditions, he believes that the income is acceptable.
"With saving labor costs, our family's ingredients are about 30% cheaper than traditional hot pot restaurants. There are more people eating at night, especially young people who want to eat supper, and drivers who run online car-hailing at night will come to eat. "According to its introduction, the per capita consumption of the store is about 60 yuan, and the current monthly income can reach about 40,000 yuan.
An unmanned hotpot restaurant closed after half a year of business: frequent scanning code affects customer experience
As the first unmanned hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, how is Yang Yuchu's popularity?
"I didn't know there was this hot pot restaurant nearby. I don't really want to try it. Can the bottom of my own pot taste as good as a traditional hot pot restaurant?" said an aunt who happened to pass by this restaurant.
However, another young citizen thought the format was novel.
"I've seen this store on a video platform before, but I haven't come to try it." When asked if she thought it would be troublesome to do the whole process, she said that it's okay, just don't wash the pot.
How are the unmanned hotpot restaurants in other cities operating?
The reporter searched and found that Hongjinhua's 24-hour unmanned hotpot restaurant, which opened in Chongqing in early 2021, has now been suspended.
The reporter contacted the store employee Shi Xiuqing through the contact information of the Hongjinhua store provided by Yang Liang. She said that both Hongjinhua stores closed on July 30 last year.
Why is it facing closure after more than half a year of operation?
Shi Xiuqing said frankly, it was mainly about operation and site selection.
"In addition, there are only two employees in my store, and they are all relatively old. The system we used before was too advanced, and it was difficult for us to understand it. Every time the inventory was operated in the background and the power was cut off, it was not very smooth."
Older employees face obstacles to the new system, and some consumers also find frequent QR code scanning cumbersome.
"Our first store opened on Torch Avenue, Jiulongpo District. Consumers have also complained about the cumbersome operation, such as re-scanning the code every time the freezer is opened." Shi Xiuqing explained, "But the first store was due to more young people around. Acceptance is relatively high. But the second branch is not very good.”
According to reports, the second store is located in Guanyin Bridge, Jiangbei District. "There are a lot of tourists, which can bring some traffic. But because it is a downtown area, there will be more elderly people around. Because they have never seen it, and they have been scanning the code, The experience is very poor." Shi Xiuqing said.
Industry insiders: Hotpot has a strong social attribute, the whole process is unmanned or lacks "temperature"
How do people in the industry view unmanned hotpot?
Yan Long, executive chairman of the Sichuan Hotpot Association, said, "The innovative spirit of unmanned hotpot restaurants should be encouraged. In addition, the production process of hotpot has been gradually standardized, and an unmanned model can be tried to save costs." However, "these shops are currently The technical application is not stable enough. For example, will consumers be charged arbitrarily, the program will be stuck, etc. when scanning the code? And 24-hour unmanned operation is impossible, such as replenishment, security, or need people do it."
In addition, in Yuan Xiaoran's view, hot pot has strong social attributes.
"If the whole process is unmanned, it will lead to a lack of temperature. When family and friends gather together, they will enjoy the process of being served when eating hot pot. If you operate the whole process yourself, it will be too mechanized." Yuan Xiaoran said that unmanned hot pot is needed at the front end. People serve as "connection points", otherwise it is just a commercialized "self-service supermarket", and it is difficult to guarantee consumers' experience.
When it comes to the development prospects of unmanned hotpot, Yuan Xiaoran believes that this needs to be tested by the market.
"In addition to the lack of warmth, the biggest feature of self-service is convenience and experience, but this is obviously not good enough. Hot pot takes a long time to eat. During this process, if you keep scanning the code to get the dishes, cook and adjust the fire, it is very easy Fatigue." In addition, food safety also needs to be strengthened.
"Whether the ingredients are fresh, whether the tableware and chopsticks are cleaned regularly, whether the waste edible oil is recycled, etc., all need to gradually strengthen the management." Chengdu Commercial Daily-Red Star News reporter Zheng Ran Huang Panpan