Catering sector business bounces back

Last year, the Feidachu chain, which was founded in 2003, opened its first branch in Beijing at Chaoyang Joy City. Business was so good that later last year, four more branches opened in the city to ease long waiting times. The new outlets quickly attracted long lines of customers.

Lu said the chain trains its chefs in Changsha, before sending them to branches nationwide to ensure the flavor of dishes remains the same at each of its outlets.

"We are also collaborating with colleges to cultivate talent for our restaurants," Lu said, adding that the business is expanding elsewhere in China.

At Huda Restaurant, a popular crawfish eatery on Guijie Street, a popular food area in Beijing, a tent was erected during Spring Festival to accommodate customers waiting for tables. During the holiday, the eatery sold 3.25 metric tons of crawfish.

Xiabuxiabu Restaurant Management Co said that during Spring Festival its overall revenue rose by 126 percent year-on-year, and customer flow doubled in its northern region, which includes Tianjin and Heilongjiang province.

Hotpot chain Haidilao welcomed 6.5 million customers at its branches across the country from Jan 23-27, with the peak coming on Jan 26, when it catered to 1.35 million diners.

Zheng Xiaobo, manager of Haidilao's Changshoulu branch in Putuo district, Shanghai, said tables for Lunar New Year's Eve and Lunar New Year's Day were fully booked a week before.

"There are plenty of ingredients for hotpot. Many customers choose it for their family gatherings, as it's great to eat this dish together. Our peak time was the morning on Lunar New Year's Eve," Zheng said.

As 2023 marks the Year of The Rabbit, Zheng said many people bought drinks and cultural and creative products launched jointly by Haidilao and creative cartoon brand Miffy by Dick Bruna.

"Tableware gift boxes and revolving scenic lanterns sold out, and some special drinks whose names have auspicious meanings were also popular," he said.

The takeout trade was also boosted during Spring Festival. On Jan 22, such orders at Haidilao were double those for the previous year. This trend was more apparent in first-tier cities, and that day, Haidilao's delivery orders in Beijing rose fivefold year-on-year.