When the country's catering revenue has reached a new milestone behind the glamorous data - an eye-popping 5.2 trillion yuan, what we see should not only be the shining figures, but the bitterness and reality hidden behind it. What can the ups and downs of a small noodle shop tell us? Let's find out.
Lu, originally a businessman who wandered between antiques and art, his story is not as mysterious as the wisdom of the distant East, nor as majestic as the grand blueprint of the business empire, he is simply an ordinary person who is eager to change careers and bet on catering. He chose the metropolis of Shanghai and opened a noodle restaurant with great effort, thinking of steadily grabbing a piece of the pie.
However, the shocking monthly rent of 23,000 yuan is like an invisible beast, quietly eating away at all his hard work and sweat. In Lu's ignorant eyes, rent is no longer the price of a residence, it has turned into a bottomless pit, almost swallowing up 30%-40% of the turnover. The noodle restaurant is like a child's bubble dream, no matter how big it blows, it can't withstand a shot of reality.
Some people say that it is easy to fight the country, but it is difficult to defend the country. On this seemingly glamorous entrepreneurial track, Lu may not have expected that in addition to the interweaving of risks and uncertainties, the most difficult test often comes from the day-to-day rent bills and daily noodle bowl counts. Half a year after opening the store, his hard work did not turn into considerable profits, but instead served as the landlord's money bag over and over again. The profit threshold of 150 bowls of noodles seems to have become an unattainable challenge, and the daily sales of less than 100 bowls have already announced the cruelty of survival.
Ironically, Lu's noodle restaurant is called "Heartbeat", but who would have thought that this beating was not just an adventure, it was a symphony of confusion and regret. He admits frankly - in the face of reality, the original ambition is just an empty one. I don't get tired of eating, but not everyone can walk smoothly on this food path.
It doesn't take much scrutiny to understand that today's dependence on food and beverage is so deep-rooted, but not everyone is a successful person. Why are food trucks and noodle restaurants springing up on the streets, because this seems to be a temptation with a low threshold and low risk. But who can see the struggle and helplessness after failure? Nowadays, the younger generation may prefer one-click takeout sitting at home, which is undoubtedly a big blow to physical restaurants.
Let's take a look at the landlords of the high-rise buildings, who are the new landlords of the city. They guard one gold mine after another, and sit back and enjoy the results every month, without caring about the life or death of the merchants. If you're looking to open a store, you're going to have to face a lot of upfront rent and a ruthless deposit policy. Business is good? Congratulations, the rent has gone up. Landlords are ready to take it to the next level in due course. At this moment, we can't help but ask, are we working for a living, or are we just toiling for the pockets of our landlords?
This is the reflection of the current situation of the real economy, those once lively and prosperous are now gone, leaving only silence and dilapidation. The rise of online retail seems to offer new hope for many: without the pressure of rent, it is more convenient for consumers to buy things. At the same time, it may also be a game to escape the pressure of reality.
All in all, Lu's noodle shop is not alone, and it is one of the countless dreamers in this charming and brutal metropolis. Their stories remind us that although the road to entrepreneurship is full of reverie and temptation, it is also full of thorns and endless 'rent'.
How do we view all of this? Can we find a better solution, or do we just bow our heads powerlessly in the face of reality? In these fast-changing times, we urgently need to find a compromise that balances innovation with the protection of the real economy. Otherwise, more "Lu" will wander indefinitely on the road of entrepreneurship.