Chinanews.com, June 13th. According to the "Europe Times" French version of the WeChat official account "East to West", since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in France, in more than a year, the French government has issued three bans. The French economy and all walks of life have been affected to some extent.
Many French catering businesses failed to survive the epidemic and closed down.
However, most Chinese catering companies still stick to it, and some are looking for and grasping opportunities in the predicament of the epidemic.
The French restaurant industry has just resumed full operation and opened a Chinese hot pot restaurant
On June 13th, two Sichuan hot pot restaurants opened trial on the same day.
The two newly opened hot pot restaurants are in central Paris and were invested and decorated by Zhejiang Chinese businessmen during the epidemic.
One of them is the "Shu Zong Sanwei Old Hot Pot" located in the Chatelet business district and the Pompidou Art Center, above the well-known Sichuan restaurant "Shu Garden" in Paris.
Sun Tai, a Chinese businessman of Zhejiang origin in France, runs a Sichuan restaurant and a hot pot restaurant at the same time.
Since its opening in early 2019, "Shu Garden" has attracted a group of diners who like Sichuan cuisine and has established a fan base. Among its guests, French guests account for at least half of them. Many of them have lived in China, and some are still there. I have stayed in Sichuan and I have been able to accept Sichuan cuisine.
Some French guests were brought by Chinese friends in France, and these French guests gradually became regulars.
After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in France, the takeaway package business of Sichuan restaurants has been good.
During the epidemic, a regular customer lived in 77 provinces and suddenly wanted to eat Sichuan food. Employees would drive more than an hour to deliver meals to their door.
Mrs. Sun said that customers are the reputation of the restaurant.
Although Sun Tai's restaurant is popular, she always feels that she lacks a little without hot pot.
During the epidemic, the facade of the store upstairs was for sale, and Mrs. Sun took it down without hesitation.
After several months of renovation, a Sichuan hot pot restaurant came out.
For this hot pot restaurant, the "Shu Yuan" chef from Deyang, Sichuan, did everything possible to find the hot pot chef Xiao Chen from his hometown. The purpose is one, and the hot pot must be authentic.
The hot pot base is like the soul of hot pot, so in order to ensure the quality of hot pot, all the butter and spicy base ingredients are purchased from Deyang.
Master Xiao Chen said, I came to France by myself, and I wanted to bring the original taste of my hometown to French guests and Chinese people here.
Sun Tai's original store has already cultivated a group of customers. As long as the hot pot is done well, the new store can also attract customers from the old store.
Because customers have a degree of adhesion, how to transform it depends on the freshness of the taste and ingredients, as well as the sense of service.
Sun Tai said that her target group is French customers, because she found that the French can fully accept authentic Sichuan cuisine and hot pot. Therefore, the hot pot restaurant must be as popular as the Sichuan restaurant by French customers. The only thing to do now is to carry it. This difficult time.
Use brand effect to seize the market
Another newly opened hotpot restaurant "Xiaolongkan Lao Hotpot" Paris Store "moved" a Sichuan hotpot from China to France.
The owner, Mr. Zheng, said that as a franchise store, the bricks, tables, chairs, benches, cupboards, chopsticks, pot bottom seasonings, etc. of this Paris store are all shipped from China. Even the decorations in the store are also branded. The designer went to Paris to design and decorate, and he also invited people from other franchised stores to do staff training.
Mr. Zheng hopes to attract customers through the brand effect. He said that his son Clermont is responsible for the franchise stores in Paris. This is undoubtedly a challenge for a young Chinese born in France.
Clermont said that the employees in the store are all young people who were born and raised in France and found them one by one.
Although he was born in France, his parents are from Zhejiang, China, and he has returned to China many times since he grew up, and he has a lot of knowledge and knowledge of China, so he should be able to make a hot pot restaurant.
Besides, I also like hot pot, and many of my friends can eat spicy food.
Mr. Zheng and Clermont have a very clear positioning of their store.
Use the brand effect to continuously expand its influence and seize the French hot pot market.
When the epidemic is over and Chinese tourists arrive in Paris, France, there will be no worries that no one will come to eat.
What we need to do at this stage is to let everyone know that there is this store in Paris.
Always seize opportunities around the positioning
headwinds sky
A Vietnamese rice noodle shop called "Pho Passion" (Pho Passion), which has been opened on the Bastille restaurant street for several months, was also brewing during the epidemic. The owner is Chen Jianbin, the executive vice chairman of the French International Culinary Association.
Chen Jianbin said that before the epidemic, for a long time, he and his two partners, Wang Jiaqing and Weng Deshun, had been discussing various matters concerning the Paris International Hotel.
After the outbreak of the new crown virus in France, all of a sudden, people took time off and had time to sort out and think about the road to future development.
By chance, he took the store on the Bastille restaurant block from an international chain restaurant group.
After taking this store, after repeated investigations and reflections, a Vietnamese rice noodle store was built.
In the epidemic, the newly opened "Passionate Fans" can actually deliver more than 70 orders in one night.
Chen Jianbin said that this was not accidental, and he was the result of accurate positioning after a long time of thinking.
Chen Jianbin revealed that he is a Vietnamese rice noodle shop because he currently has only one Vietnamese rice noodle shop in the restaurant district of Bastille. The pressure of competition is low. Moreover, he hired a master who has been making Vietnamese rice noodles for decades to visit the store He teaches the experience of making Vietnamese rice noodles. The soup base is made from beef bones, and the taste is very good.
Chen Jianbin said that the location of the restaurant is important, but no matter how good the location is, if competition is homogeneous, it will also have a certain impact on the operation of the restaurant.
Now, I am competing in a dislocation position. At present, the Vietnamese rice noodle shop is the only one in the Bastille restaurant district. Therefore, I am full of confidence in the prospect of the rice noodle shop.
Chen Jianbin said that although the catering industry resumed full operations on June 9, because many French companies have not completely ended the form of remote office work, the restaurant’s passenger flow will not be large after the resumption of full operations, and it needs to continue. According to the passenger flow situation, adjust the business form at any time.
Compared with French catering businesses, Chinese catering businesses have stronger patience and a strong concept of saving money. Facing the challenge of the epidemic, Chinese can buy their favorite restaurant and clenched their teeth for a period of time to get better. development of.
Chen Jianbin said frankly that if you want to make a good restaurant, choosing a good location is half the battle.
Of course, all this depends on one's own vision and positioning.
(Owen)