Stay optimistic! If catering enterprises can survive, they will win

Recently, Fan Ning, co-founder of Hongcan.com and president of Hongcan Brand Research Institute, Zhao Liping, vice chairman and general manager of Guangzhou Restaurant Group, and Huang Geng, chairman of the Fashion and Leisure Committee of the World Chinese Food Federation, held in-depth dialogues on the current situation of the catering industry, the changes and development of Guangzhou restaurants, the inheritance and innovation of time-honored brands and other topics.

Regarding the current situation of the catering industry, Zhao Liping and Huang Geng both said that at present, the catering industry can be said to have ushered in a difficult time. In the eyes of these two senior catering people, although the recovery will take time, the future development of catering is optimistic. At this stage, for catering enterprises, "if you live, you will win."

Referring to the development and innovation of time-honored brands, Zhao Liping said that Guangzhou restaurants can keep growing all the time because it has the idea of "not getting old", which is a competitive idea and can adapt to the idea of social development. "If you want not to lag behind the times, you should change and develop your ideas, and actively participate in market competition to make yourself more mature in the competition."

Huang Geng also bluntly said that the key to better and better time-honored restaurants lies in the cultivation of teams and the inheritance and innovation of traditional crafts. "Enterprises should always change around the needs of the market. In this process, we must not lose our own edges and corners. This edge is the characteristic that distinguishes an enterprise from other enterprises."

The following is a live dialogue record:

The "new ten articles" are good for the catering industry, and it is better to have business than nothing.

Red Meal Network: It has been some time since the epidemic prevention and control measures were optimized in various places. Many catering businesses said that the business was not as good as before. From the standpoint of Guangzhou Restaurant, Zhao Zong, what new changes and challenges do you think catering has faced in the last half month?

Zhao Liping: Generally speaking, it does have an impact on business, but the impact is still acceptable. Of course, during this period, catering will inevitably have an impact, because many people will be "yang". For this matter, I think I should face it frankly.

For catering, business may fluctuate during this period, but it is good anyway. It is better to have business than no business. The catering industry, consumers and the whole society should adapt to the current situation. After they get used to it, everyone will welcome a peaceful and happy year. After the new year, spring will bloom and we will live a normal life together.

For Guangzhou restaurant, we also have a small advantage. It has a tea market. Drinking tea in Guangzhou has become a living habit, so it is relatively acceptable to recover at present.

Hongcan. com: Teacher Huang Geng is currently in Beijing. As far as your personal experience is concerned, what are the new changes and challenges in the catering industry in the near future?

Huang Geng: I found that the business of many stores is not as good as before. Because "positive" has indeed increased.

At this stage, the catering situation in Beijing may be much worse than that in Guangzhou, and the catering business in Beijing will probably return to 30% to 40%. Now, many take-out and courier brothers are also "yang", and it is not easy to deliver take-out in time.

Of course, I personally don’t think this time will be too long, because the market will naturally recover after this round of "Yang" has passed, and I am still very confident about the future development of the entire catering industry.

Don’t have too much fear of the epidemic. What should come will come sooner or later, life will always be lived and work will always be done. We have a long future, and when it comes, we will deal with it calmly.

Hongcan. com: In your opinion, when will the industry really usher in recovery? At this stage, how can catering enterprises save themselves?

Zhao Liping: First of all, catering must be done, because people always have to eat, and people’s pursuit of food is the most likely to resonate. As for the recovery process of the whole industry, I think it will be half a year or a few months at least, and it will basically return to normal.

If catering enterprises want to spend the next period of time smoothly, first, they should evaluate their own strength, not blindly expand, and keep good funds so that enterprises can continue for a long time, so as to resist more risks.

Second, we should do some preparatory work for the future development. The so-called preparatory work is to train talents, upgrade technology, think about the future development route, and develop good and new products to prepare for the subsequent development.

Third, we must realize that the national policy on epidemic prevention and control is becoming clearer and clearer, and it will take a process for consumers to adapt to this feeling. This process will be faster in some places and slower in some places. But a little slower is estimated to be a little slower, so we still have to have confidence in the future.

Society will always return to normal and develop further, and people’s yearning for a better life will continue. At this stage, catering enterprises will win if they can survive.

Huang Geng: I am personally optimistic about the catering industry first, because this industry is an eternal sunshine industry. After everyone has gone through such a stage, there will be a new change in the mentality of the masses, social control and cognition, so I am optimistic that the industry recovery will be after March.

Of course, some enterprises may not last for three months. That is not a social problem, but a problem of the enterprise itself, right?

The enterprise itself did not make a good reserve, did not make a good prediction, and could not cover up all its mistakes with the epidemic as an excuse. Epidemic is just an excuse for enterprise failure, it is not the fundamental reason, the fundamental reason lies in yourself.

Therefore, no matter how big or small the development is, enterprises should have a clear understanding and judgment of themselves. Everyone has a Hamlet in his heart, and not every restaurant enterprise can become a Guangzhou restaurant.

The legend that Guangzhou restaurant is not old and Taotaoju are misplaced and complementary.

Hongcan. com: Actually, there have been different interpretations or impressions of Guangzhou restaurants both inside and outside the industry. How to define Guangzhou restaurant?

Zhao Liping: I think Guangzhou Restaurant is an old legend. From 1935 to its establishment 87 years ago, it has experienced ups and downs, but on the whole, it is advancing. It can be said that since its establishment so far, the annual profit and sales of Guangzhou restaurant have increased.

It can keep growing, thanks to its idea of being young, which is a competitive idea and can adapt to the idea of social development. Therefore, Guangzhou restaurant has a strong vitality.

As for the personal significance of Guangzhou Restaurant, I have worked in Guangzhou Restaurant for 31 years. My career, life honor and personal growth are all here. It is a part of my life.

Hongcan. com: Mr. Huang Geng is a senior catering person. He has always been concerned about the development and changes of the catering industry, and he must be no stranger to Guangzhou restaurants. What do you think of the brand Guangzhou Restaurant?

Huang Geng: First of all, I am engaged in the catering industry. I started in Beijing Tongheju Restaurant, a century-old shop. It was founded in 1822, and this year it is an old brand for 200 years.

In fact, from the perspective of private enterprises, I especially envy the managers of state-owned century-old stores. I think the development of an enterprise can’t be done well in one generation. At every different stage of development, corresponding management talents are needed to manage it. Therefore, when we get to know an old-fashioned enterprise, we should see the feelings and efforts that every leader has injected into this enterprise over the years.

I once said that the biggest problem an enterprise will encounter in the process of development in the future is the boss’s own problem. It must be the boss’s problem that caused the demise of an enterprise, not social or other factors.

With the development of the times, Guangzhou Restaurant has been constantly adjusting and changing itself over the years, not only the adjustment of dishes, the adjustment of services, but also the adjustment of management concepts, which is very important for its sustainable development.

Zhao Zong: In an interview with the media, you said that Guangzhou Restaurant should become the leader of Cantonese food culture. Since its establishment 87 years ago, what has Guangzhou Restaurant done in the leadership of Cantonese food culture? How effective is it?

Zhao Liping: Our proposal to become a leader of Cantonese-style food culture is well founded and thoughtful. Since its establishment, Guangzhou Restaurant has proposed to be "the first restaurant to eat in Guangzhou", and this positioning has been handed down all the time. In addition, the culture of Guangzhou restaurants is in the same strain. It grows with the city and society, and develops all the way down, with profound cultural accumulation.

Secondly, Guangzhou Restaurant is now a state-owned holding enterprise, so it not only has to survive, make money, make profits and develop, but also bears a kind of social responsibility and social responsibility. At the earliest, Guangzhou Restaurant sent chefs to embassies, and as a national team, it also went to many countries without diplomatic relations to spread China’s delicious food and help the country’s foreign exchanges. Including the first Guangzhou Food Exhibition, was also held in Guangzhou Restaurant.

In the inheritance of Cantonese cuisine, we developed the Nanyue King Banquet. At that time, we invited literary historians, archaeologists and gourmets to explore the history, culture and eating habits of Nanyue. The cooking methods, tableware selection and dining environment layout were all integrated with the history of Nanyue, and they have been promoted until now.

Later, Guangzhou Restaurant also hosted a banquet in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, which was full of Chinese seats. We also held a banquet in the Republic of China to rediscover the famous dishes in Guangzhou during the Republic of China. After the launch of the banquet in the Republic of China, the effect was good, and the price of the banquet was not cheap, but consumers liked it very much. The store basically had to book a position two days in advance, and it was always booked.

Guangzhou restaurant has been changing. We integrate historical, aesthetic and cultural things into the environment, service, utensils and dishes. Next, we want to build a Cantonese cuisine museum, where people can enjoy the history and culture.

Hongcan. com: Teacher Huang Geng, what lessons can be learned from the inheritance and innovation of Guangzhou restaurants in the field of Cantonese cuisine?

Huang Geng: If an enterprise can have the concept of corporate culture, it must have accumulated over the years, and it must be a development vein of this enterprise for decades and hundreds of years. It is really impossible to talk about how profound corporate culture a company claims to have only been established for a few years.

Therefore, if an enterprise wants to have a cultural background, it must first have experience. Brand is like a primary school student in its early days, and its development is like a human being. It takes 12 years to learn from primary school to adulthood. If an enterprise has also experienced a 12-year development process, it can be called an enterprise with cultural heritage.

I want to tell the operators of young catering enterprises that they must go through it first, and they can constantly adjust and improve themselves in the process of going through it.

Hongcan. com: Guangzhou Restaurant Group has two different Cantonese brands, Guangzhou Restaurant and Taotaoju. What is the difference between their development paths? What are the characteristics of the two brands in the inheritance and innovation of Cantonese cuisine?

Zhao Liping: Taotaoju is a brand worthy of development in Guangzhou. It has a history of more than 140 years and a profound cultural heritage.

It has been closed, closed down, or given its brand to others. When Guangzhou Restaurant bought it, it also attracted the management team that had done a good job and became a minority shareholder. Guangzhou Restaurant is the controlling shareholder. In this way, the management team of Tao Taoju is separated from the management team of Guangzhou Restaurant. If the same team is allowed to make two brands and both of them make Cantonese cuisine, it is easy to be homogenized.

In order to avoid homogenization, we also made some distinctions between the two brands. Tao Taoju, for example, has been rejuvenated by the original operator, so we will make this feature better and make it young and fashionable. Nowadays, Taotaoju has both traditional cultural style and colorful, with a crowded location and a small room, which is the positioning of Taotaoju.

Since its inception, Guangzhou Restaurant has been engaged in the business of celebrities and literati. We also continue this road, highlighting the culture of big families and bureaucrats, so the rooms in Guangzhou restaurant are relatively loose, relatively more government, business and tea-drinking culture.

At present, the food in Taotaoju and Guangzhou restaurants are also different in packaging, taste and sales channels. The two brands have their own different teams to develop their own markets, and they are benign and complementary. I think this is a good dislocation.

For example, Tao Taoju may be a young girl, dressed in more colorful clothes. Guangzhou restaurant may be a dignified lady, dressed in a more dignified manner. Young people will naturally dress dignified when they grow up to a certain extent. Together, the two brands cover a more comprehensive population.

Cantonese cuisine is profound, and the only constant is that it has been changing.

Zhao Zong, you have recently prepared a book called "Grand Cantonese Cuisine", which covers the culture, style, emotion and flavor of Cantonese cuisine. Can you share with us the development, changes and trends of Cantonese cuisine from the past to the present to the future?

Zhao Liping: Cantonese Cuisine includes Hakka, Shunde and Chaozhou cuisines involved in the whole administrative region of Guangdong, and examines a series of questions from a higher level, such as: Why does the scope of Cantonese cuisine include these? What is the relationship between them? Then what’s wonderful about them? Where is their historical background?

How will Cantonese cuisine change in the future? I think it has several spirits that will definitely continue.

The first is "fusion". The first is the fusion of raw materials. The geographical features of the birth of Cantonese cuisine make it widely used in ingredients. Many raw materials can be fused together, such as game, wild vegetables and seafood. Secondly, the integration of cultures. The development of the whole Minnan culture is influenced by the northern culture, the Central Plains culture, including some western cultures, so it integrates many cultures.

The second is "various forms". There are many forms of Cantonese cuisine now. As long as the trendy things in the whole society and even the whole world, whether China or the West, can be used for fun, they are very diverse in utensils, presentation forms and means of play.

The third is "persistence". Cantonese cuisine has always inherited classic dishes and adhered to traditional tastes in the development process. At the same time, it is also well done, which makes many consumers have endless aftertaste. The persistence of Cantonese cuisine also lies in the strict requirements for ingredients, that is, good, special and fresh ingredients, which are interpreted to the extreme.

I personally wrote in the book "Grand Cantonese Cuisine" that the only constant of Cantonese cuisine is that it keeps changing. In the future, Cantonese cuisine will continue to change and evolve along these main elements.

Hongcan. com: Teacher Huang Geng, what do you think of the development of the whole Cantonese cuisine market?

Huang Geng: As a representative dish in Guangdong, Cantonese cuisine is an ancient cuisine. I think there are several reasons why it can be more accepted by modern people now.

First of all, the time between regions has been shortened now. No matter how far it is, you can travel back and forth in one day. Modern means of transportation have increased the spread of regional culture, which is one reason.

The key point that Cantonese cuisine is welcomed by everyone is that it conforms to the eating habits of modern people. There are four distinct seasons in the north, and there may be no seasonal dishes in the north in winter, but Guangzhou is different. Guangzhou is spring-like and coastal, and many dishes are fresh, and there are many high-quality ingredients in the sea, which also makes Cantonese cuisine meet the requirements of modern people for fresh ingredients in the whole composition and structure.

Second, the cooking technique is simple. In fact, cooking itself is a minimalist form of operation, but why is the cooking of northern cuisine so complicated? Because in the north, especially in winter, there are not so fresh ingredients to eat, so we can only use dry goods and a lot of condiments. But Cantonese food is different. Its ingredients are fresh and its cooking method is relatively simple.

The third is integration. Guangdong is the earliest open port for China’s foreign exchanges, and its lifestyle and eating habits have been merged and exchanged. Therefore, in Cantonese cuisine, we can see the shadow of some cooking in many western developed countries.

Hongcan. com: While inheriting and innovating Cantonese cuisine, we also noticed that Guangzhou Restaurant has made several major moves in cross-regional operation this year. For example, in July, it set up a Shanghai catering subsidiary to take charge of the catering business in the Shanghai market; In October, three new Guangzhou restaurant stores were opened in Xiguan, Shenzhen Qianhai and Changsha. So, what is the current operating effect of Guangzhou restaurant in these areas? In such a special environment this year, what are the considerations behind the expansion of Guangzhou restaurants?

Zhao Liping: I think the difficulty is temporary, and it will develop in the long run, so I will do some basic work when it is difficult. For example, many restaurants have no business during the epidemic, so enterprises can lay the foundation. One is to train employees well and improve their technology. The second is to find a path suitable for enterprise development.

When it is difficult to do business in the catering industry and the whole market is easier to talk about conditions, we can open more stores in some places when we have time to prepare slowly. It takes a lot of time to open a restaurant in Guangzhou. In the past, opening a store may waste a lot of business opportunities and costs, which can be controlled during the epidemic.

In addition, it is good for enterprises to expand their regional operations. For example, when there is an epidemic in Guangzhou, there is no epidemic in Shenzhen. At least one place has business to do, and there is a loss here, and the company has more vitality by making money there to make up for it.

The third consideration is that if a brand wants to be big, it must be made into a national brand or even a world brand from a regional brand. Guangzhou Restaurant’s strategy is to build a world-class catering group. In the past, it may not be possible to do business in Guangdong alone, but now that the team of the enterprise has been built, the scale has also increased, and its influence has also been gained, it should go to the whole country to "plant flags."

Guangzhou restaurant has set a brand strategy, that is, "catering tree brand, food scale", walking on two legs, when catering is not good, the food industry is ok. Guangzhou restaurant opened stores in major cities, and at the same time, it also took food out, letting consumers know the quality of food through catering, and the two businesses empowered each other.

Hongcan. com: Teacher Huang Geng, in your opinion, what are the characteristics of the whole catering industry in store expansion and market layout this year? What risks do you need to pay attention to?

Huang Geng: I think as long as we embark on the road of entrepreneurship, it will not be smooth sailing. Even if there is no epidemic, there will be other things.

Cross-regional development, first of all, we must have a pre-judgment on the future development of enterprises, including the whole industry and the big environment. Why have some enterprises been able to develop against the trend in the past three years? Some enterprises have been good for a while and then bad, and some enterprises may not be good. I think it still has something to do with the operators and decision makers of enterprises.

First of all, some people are blindly optimistic, thinking that the epidemic is nothing more than a matter of March and February. Maybe at that time, their own enterprises were developing very vigorously, without considering multiple factors for future development, and then they stretched their bows too full, resulting in different changes in the capital chain and mentality of the whole enterprise.

In addition, if a brand wants to develop better, it must be cross-regional. However, whether an enterprise wants to expand in a foreign country or not depends on its own characteristics and whether it has any inside information, which comes from human, financial and material aspects.

Before the soldiers and horses arrive, the food and grass will go first. If there is no good reserve, it will be a problem just to take advantage of the rent and blindly expand during this period. Can your chef keep up after the expansion? Can you keep up with your service? Before any enterprise expands, it must think about these problems and make a wise judgment on its own ability.

Food enterprises must have "sharp edges" in order to gain a foothold in the market.

Zhao Zong, what do you think are the main problems in the development of time-honored brands?

Zhao Liping: In fact, there are problems in every stage of the old brand. The key lies in whether it is actively dealt with and solved.

First of all, there must be a problem with the concept if the old brand is not done well. Because it doesn’t realize that the times are changing, it has to change with it, or it doesn’t dare to respond positively when it encounters some difficulties, or the countermeasures are wrong. If the concept remains unchanged, it will definitely not develop well.

Of course, the historical burden of time-honored brands is also heavy, but it is not impossible to solve the heavy historical burden. Guangzhou Restaurant has solved the historical burden through development. Through development, we can solve the problem of aging talents, such as introducing new cooking technology, new equipment, new environment and new business ideas.

Especially now, time-honored brands are facing more and more competitors, and the internal structure, product research and development, business strategy, including culture, etc. of enterprises need to be reformed, so as not to lag behind the times, as Guangzhou Restaurant has done. I think that time-honored brands should change and develop their concepts, and actively participate in market competition to make themselves more mature in the competition.

Hongcan. com: Teacher Huang Geng, what opportunities and challenges do you think the current development of time-honored brands has?

Huang Geng: I don’t think it’s just the problem of the development of the old brand. In the past three years, the problems encountered by the old brand and the new brand are similar.

Of course, the time-honored brand has accumulated for decades, and the enterprise itself will leave some personnel burdens in the development process, which some new brands may not expect.

As an old brand, it must have gone through several economic cycles. If we look at it in a hundred years’ history, the difficulties in the past three years may be nothing. So no matter when it comes, we still have to deal with it with a normal heart. As the saying goes, man can conquer nature, and enterprises must have the courage to face all difficulties if they want to gain a foothold in this society.

We are still in an era of very good development. Guangzhou restaurant, which has experienced war and turmoil, is still developing very well. Today’s young brands can’t give up or retreat because of the three-year epidemic. We should be environmental changers, not environmental submitters.

Hongcan. com: Many time-honored brands are constantly innovating to cater to new consumer groups. However, some people think that the innovation of many time-honored brands may only be a little effort in marketing, and the internal management of enterprises is still relatively conservative, which does not make enterprises make better progress. What do the two teachers think of this view? How should time-honored brands connect with the new era?

Zhao Liping: I don’t think this is surprising. Like I am an old man now, I may not adapt to playing mobile phones and games at once. No young people can play smoothly, but I am still trying.

Time-honored brands also have this problem, and they may play hard, but to understand, at least they are willing to try and respond to the needs of society and consumers.

It takes time to do everything. The innovation of time-honored brands may not be done well at first, but it is also a good opportunity. It can sum up the problems and then make improvements, so as to do it better.

Just like Guangzhou restaurant, when I first proposed to make the dishes more exquisite, many chefs didn’t recognize it. They felt that it was not sincere enough for consumers. Later, I found another group of chefs to improve the dishes, and after good results, the previous chefs knew that this path was right, and they would try to change it, which gradually formed an innovative atmosphere, and the development of Guangzhou restaurants was getting better and better.

Huang Geng: If an old brand stands still, or only recognizes its own inherent knowledge of techniques and ingredients, it will be difficult to develop without the basic vision of a modern catering enterprise.

If you really want to develop, you must do some social integration, which is the same for any enterprise. Operators of enterprises must keep pace with the times. If they don’t change and develop with the times, users will run away and you may not even know why. Then how can this enterprise continue to develop, right?

I think the key to making the time-honored brand better and better lies in the cultivation of the team and the inheritance of traditional crafts, including the continuous innovation and integration in dishes.

Therefore, from the operator’s point of view, enterprises should always change around the market demand. Of course, in this process, enterprises must not lose their edges and corners. An enterprise must have edges and corners to gain a foothold in the market. This edge and corner is the characteristic that distinguishes you from other enterprises.

Where there is catering, there is prefabrication, not to mention the color change of prefabricated dishes.

Hongcan. com: The performance of Guangzhou Restaurant’s pre-cooked dish business in recent two years is also very bright. What did you do right to get bright results? What actions will Guangzhou restaurant take in preparing dishes in the future?

Zhao Liping: From the perspective of three dimensions, the first dimension, prepared food is definitely promising. We can look at countries such as Europe, America and Japan, whose prepared food has developed very well. The second dimension is whether the prepared dishes are suitable for our current development, or whether the current development can reach as good as others. The third dimension, if there is still a gap, what should we do.

Guangzhou restaurant has been cooking prefabricated dishes since the 1980 s, but it has not made great efforts. Why? Because we are evaluating whether the pre-cooked food industry is mature, including the taste, quality, packaging form, logistics and distribution of products. Because it is not mature enough, we are just doing what we can, and there is no big force.

In the past two years, the government has advocated the development of prefabricated dishes, and the epidemic has also brought about the upsurge of prefabricated dishes. Everyone is very lively to discuss it, and we also actively participate in it, learn information, participate in competition and improve ourselves.

I think it’s the last word whether it’s delicious or hard to cook prefabricated dishes, and consumers must like it. Therefore, Guangzhou Restaurant has introduced some experts, scholars and R&D talents, and cooperated with them to improve the prepared dishes. It should be said that under this upsurge, there is still a breakthrough in the pre-cooked dish business of Guangzhou restaurant. For example, our fresh-keeping technology and taste reduction are higher than before, and the applicable scenarios of dishes have also increased.

At present, there are several prefabricated dishes in Guangzhou restaurant, such as potted vegetables, which are suitable for the tastes of local people in Guangdong and the needs of a group gathering during the Chinese New Year holiday. They are simple, delicious and can meet the needs of the scene. We sold 160,000 copies of potted vegetables in the Spring Festival last year.

Then there is still a misunderstanding. Some people think that catering is also a prepared dish, which is wrong. Consumers come to you for consumption, and there is no need to eat prepared dishes. Prefabricated dishes are more to meet the needs of some specific scenes, such as group meals for the New Year.

So what is a restaurant? Guangzhou restaurant has a central kitchen. Our central kitchen is different from others’ understanding. What does it do?

The first is the purchasing reserve of raw materials. Because the raw materials of catering are seasonal, sometimes they will be cheap and sometimes they will be expensive. When the raw materials are cheap, you can sign a contract to purchase them in advance and then store them in the central kitchen, which can save costs.

The second is the rough machining of products. A large part of the cost of modern catering industry lies in labor and site. If the rough machining of enterprise products is concentrated, the labor and site costs can be saved.

The third is to make seasoning. The processing of some ingredients takes a long time. In order to improve efficiency, these ingredients are prepared in advance in the central kitchen to ensure a uniform taste.

In other words, the real ingenuity of the product still has to be done in the store. Semi-finished products can also be regarded as prefabricated dishes, but it is not the same as what everyone understands.

In a word, I am optimistic about the future of prefabricated dishes. At present, Guangzhou Restaurant is trying its best to do it, keeping it if it is done well, and cutting it if it is not done well.

Hongcan. com: Some consumers commented that the use of prefabricated dishes in time-honored stores will reduce the brand image. What do you think of Teacher Huang Geng? What impact will the use of prefabricated dishes in dining hall have on the operation of enterprises?

Huang Geng: Many people say that standardized dishes are not good, and that standardization restricts the development of this industry. I don’t think standardization is bad, but standardization implementation is not in place.

There is prefabrication in the catering industry. For example, it takes a lot of effort to make an abalone and marinate or treat the ingredients in advance, especially in the case of a large number of stores. In order to ensure standardization, some complicated dishes must be prefabricated.

Precast dishes depend on the degree of prefabrication, some are completely prefabricated, such as steamed stuffed bun, jiaozi, wonton, instant noodles, etc., and some are partially prefabricated. For example, some stores fry a diced chicken with Kung Pao, and the side dishes and seasonings are cut and prepared in the central kitchen, and the store only needs to finish the final cooking. In fact, the most important thing of dishes is the cooking in the last link, and it is no problem to prefabricate 60% or 70% in front.

In addition, from the perspective of food safety, whether it is factory prefabricated products or prefabricated products in the central kitchen, its control over food purchases is much higher than that of traditional stores.

Is there a national standard for the dishes made by any restaurant? Are there standards for food inspection? But any industrialized food must be controlled by national standards. Therefore, don’t talk about prefabricated dishes, as long as they are not produced by unscrupulous workshops, feel free to eat them boldly.

Some people will think that there are too many additives in prefabricated vegetables. Do you eat salt? What is salt? Salt is a mineral. There is also monosodium glutamate, monosodium glutamate, which is extracted from grain. The harm of all food additives must be on the basis of an order of magnitude, and it will not be said that eating vegetables with additives will cause problems.

Therefore, we can’t say that pre-cooked dishes have always been bad, but we should look at them rationally with the eyes of modern people. The development of prefabricated dishes is the progress of society, which provides a personalized and convenient choice for everyone.

The pace of modern life is so fast, and there are so many recreational items in society. Why should we let so many complicated things take up our time? I don’t think it’s a bad thing to buy some prepared food with relatively high quality.

Under the new wave of listing, we should be cautious about listing and capital.

Hongcan. com: Hongcan. com published an article this year, taking stock of three catering listings. The first wave of catering listings was around 2008. The second wave of catering listing was around 2015. The third wave of listing is in 2022 this year. Since the beginning of this year, dozens of catering enterprises have rushed to go public. We know that Guangzhou Restaurant was successfully listed in 2017. In your opinion, what changes have taken place in the three listing tides of the catering industry in Zhao Zong?

Do you think the catering industry has a rush to go public in this year’s environment? Is the time ripe or is it driven by other deep-seated factors?

Zhao Liping: There are not many catering enterprises listed in the first wave, and the catering enterprises listed in that wave are driven by capital or policies. Because of the lack of rigorous market inspection and evaluation mechanism of the securities market at that time, some of these listed companies should have withdrawn from the market now, and some are not living very well.

By the time of the second wave of listing, there were many rules and regulations and strict requirements for enterprises, so the survival rate of listed enterprises in this wave was relatively high, and Guangzhou Restaurant was successfully listed in the second wave of listing.

I don’t understand this recent wave of listing. This wave may be because the capital doesn’t know what to invest, and then they find that the food industry is still sustainable. Under such circumstances, it may be better for them to invest in an industry that can develop in the long run. The second possibility is that some catering enterprises are eager to find a bigger development platform and find breakthroughs in capital and influence.

Is this wave of listing good or not? I dare not judge, because some listed companies have developed well and some have not developed well.

I think if a company really has the strength, listing is appropriate and will empower the development of the company. However, if enterprises want to do long-term, they must evaluate themselves before rushing to the market. Because after listing, enterprises will face many different places from the original operation. For example, listed enterprises are transparent in operation, transparent in data and transparent in actions. If enterprises do not have a solid foundation, they may not be able to adapt after listing.

Hongcan. com: What do you think of Mr. Huang Geng’s rush to go public? Do you think listing is the only way for chain catering brands?

Huang Geng: First of all, I think most catering people are still blind when it comes to listing, or accepting investment. Many people have never really understood capital.

What kind of enterprises can be valued by capital? Simply put, it is an enterprise that can rapidly fission in a short time. If an enterprise is completely human-oriented, the probability of its listing is almost zero. If this enterprise carries the gene of capitalization operation in the early development mode, such an enterprise will have an opportunity to accept capital. Whether it can develop well after listing depends on the subsequent creativity of the enterprise.

During the epidemic period, although the total scale of the catering industry has dropped a little, it is still above 4 trillion yuan, which shows that this industry is still a very good sunrise industry. Since it is a sunrise industry, it will definitely be valued by capital.

At present, the proportion of catering enterprises listed in China, including those that have accepted investment, is still very small. I think there will definitely be more enterprises valued by capital in the industry in the future.

However, whether it is an investor or a fancy enterprise, it is necessary to treat capital cautiously. For enterprises, on the one hand, it is necessary to examine investors. Can this investor run through the trough with enterprises? On the other hand, we should also examine ourselves, consider whether the enterprise itself has the genes to be invested, and do not blindly pursue capital.

(Contributed by: "Red Coffee" column group, the pictures in the article are provided by the enterprise and posted by Yangguang. com)