"In the past, the per capita customer unit price could be about 50 yuan, but this year it is about 30 yuan, not only the customer unit price is low, but the turnover has also decreased by about 20% year-on-year." Yang Jincheng, founder of Qingdao Uncle Grandpa Casserole, told reporters.
Since the second quarter of 2024, news about the closure of online celebrity stores and high-end catering stores has been common. Internet celebrity stores have accelerated their closures, and high-end restaurants have begun to "roll up low prices...... A supply-side structural reform of the catering industry has been forced to speed up by the consumption environment. According to Tianyancha data, as of the first half of this year, the number of domestic catering-related enterprises cancelled and revoked has reached 1.056 million, far exceeding the level of the same period last year, and even approaching the number of stores closed last year.
In this context, some people retreat bravely, some people die down, and some people swim against the current and continue to find a new way out. Behind the stories of countless figures, the changes and past events of the catering people this year are outlined, telling the complexity and persistence of the new round of reshuffle of the industry.
Turmoil: A barbecue restaurant that changes hands three times a year
After nearly 3 years in the catering industry, Changning felt unprecedented pressure for the first time.
When it comes to his previous work experience, Chang Ning himself will use "lucky" to summarize his store history. In 2022, after graduating from his bachelor's degree, Chang Ning rented a small door near his university and started a fried skewer business. At that time, the snack bar near the school had just undergone a round of reshuffle, and Chang Ning took over a fried skewer shop at a price of 60,000 yuan. "The small shop area is not large, mainly for takeaway and take-out, although the unit price of students is relatively low, but do not worry about the source of customers, so the daily turnover is about 4,000 yuan, the gross profit can basically reach more than 70%, and the income is considerable." Chang Ning said.
More than a year later, Chang Ning decided to return to his hometown to develop, and the store was transferred in less than a week after the notice was posted, and the transfer fee plus the income of this year and a half Chang Ning returned to Qingdao with nearly 350,000 yuan. "I thought about it before I came back, and after I returned to Qingdao, I opened the most popular Zibo barbecue at that time." Chang Ning recalled. So in April 2023, Changning's Zibo barbecue restaurant officially opened.
Chang Ning et al. conducted research in Zibo (provided by the interviewee)
This time, the barbecue restaurant opened in Changning was selected in the core business district of Qingdao West Coast New Area, with convenient transportation, prosperous business, close to many residential areas, and a gathering place for young people who like to eat and drink. "Soon after opening, it caught up with the May Day holiday and Qingdao's tourist season, when the store's daily turnover could reach nearly 30,000 yuan, and the store would be full of people around 5 p.m. Chang Ning said.
"The heat won't last long." Although the barbecue restaurant business is booming, Chang Ning had a premonition that the dividends brought by the popularity of social media would not last long when the store was opened for three months, he said: "Many people come to eat fresh, and they don't have time to go to Zibo to feel the taste of choosing a store like ours as a substitute for the addiction, the repurchase rate of customers is very low, and there are not many old customers accumulated in three months, plus the rent and labor costs are high, so I transferred the store to a friend before the off-season of that year. But the income in more than six months was higher than the income of the previous fried skewer shop that opened for a year and a half, so I thought it was easy to make money in the restaurant industry at that time. ”
Although the store was transferred, Chang Ning retained 10% of the shares in the form of financial participation at the request of a friend, and after the friend took over, as the popularity of Zibo barbecue decreased, the business of the store was almost halved. "The business in the store is not good, but the fixed expenses of rent, water and electricity, ingredients, labor and other costs are nearly 2,500 yuan a day, and before the peak season of this year, my friend decided to transfer the barbecue restaurant, and the transfer fee was reduced from 350,000 yuan to 270,000 yuan before the store was released." At the same time, Changning also found that since the beginning of this year, not only his own stores have been transferred, but many shops on the commercial street have hung up the signboard of "Wang Store Transfer", and "not profitable" and "not easy to do" have almost become high-frequency words when communicating with peers.
In February this year, the Zibo barbecue restaurant, once regarded as a "cash cow" by Changning, welcomed its third owner within a year. This time, the new boss no longer continued the Zibo barbecue, but opened the "draft beer seafood barbecue" with Qingdao characteristics. After the opening of the new restaurant, Chang Ning and his friends visited this barbecue restaurant: "The attendance rate is average, there is no feature, and in this year, where the cost is high and the competition is more fierce, I hope he can go far." Chang Ning, on the other hand, also chose to terminate his catering journey this year and was admitted to a state-owned enterprise to engage in programming jobs related to his university major.
Transformation: Shift from traditional large chains to fast food models
The old map can't find a new continent, even if the days are sad, there are still catering people looking up and down, looking for a new way out in the wind and rain, Yang Jincheng, the founder of Qingdao Uncle Grandpa Casserole brand, is such an "old man" in the catering industry. In 2002, Yang Jincheng from Yimeng took out almost all his belongings and opened his own restaurant in Qingdao, Shangougou, where the restaurant's signature dishes are the original mutton soup and authentic Yimeng fried chicken.
With authentic flavors and fresh ingredients, Yang Jincheng's store was soon favored by the market, and in his heyday, he opened more than 20 franchise stores, each with an area of nearly 1,000 square meters, taking the most traditional big store business model. However, with the decline of the industry in recent years, Yang Jincheng quickly realized the disadvantages of large store management: high labor costs and high franchise fees, which are not conducive to market expansion and brand sinking.
As a result, Yang Jincheng, who was not broken or established, decided to change his business model, only retaining two "veteran" restaurants, and founded a new uncle and grandfather casserole catering brand, officially turning to a fast food business model with low labor costs and high standardization. "After changing the business model, not only the requirements for the size of the store have been reduced, the rent and labor costs have been greatly reduced, and now three or four people can support the operation of a small store, although the threshold for joining has been reduced, but the turnover is still considerable, the average store can reach about 600,000 yuan per month, and the turnover rate can reach 6-7 times a day." Yang Jincheng said.
Uncle and grandfather casserole shop (provided by the interviewee)
But this year's catering industry as a whole also made Yang Jincheng feel a chill, talking about this year's changes, he said that the two most significant changes this year are the reduction of the unit price of customers, from the original per capita 50 yuan to about 30 yuan; Second, under the influence of this, the turnover has also decreased by about 20%, showing a trend of rational consumption on the whole.
In the face of these changes and challenges, Yang Jincheng, who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, also gave his own solution, that is, to open source and reduce expenditure. On the one hand, we insist on the fast food model of small store operation to reduce costs, and on the other hand, we develop new customers through online customer expansion through social media. Today, Yang Jincheng's uncle and grandfather casserole has more than 30 franchise stores in the city, although it is slightly affected by the market, but it has also completed a quenching in continuous upgrading and optimization.
"In the explosive development stage of the industry, extensive management is no problem, any industry must go through this process, but can not always be extensive, can not always deceive themselves, the current difficulties of catering, only new changes, transformation and upgrading can not be eliminated." Yang Jincheng said.
Trend: "Novice Xiaobai" is gradually without, and professional franchisees have become the main force
In the first half of 2024, the national catering revenue will be 2,163.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.4%; The catering revenue of units above designated size was 585.8 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%. However, at the same time, the catering industry has seen a phenomenon of increasing revenue but not increasing profits. The reason for this is that price wars, homogeneous competition and cost pressures have exacerbated the plight of the catering industry.
From Haidilao, which has opened up affordable sub-brands, to catering giants taking the lead in reducing prices, they have continuously "attacked" the sinking market. Consumers are increasingly looking for value for money. This change in consumer attitudes is not accidental. Jiang Han, a senior researcher at Pangu Think Tank, said: "On the one hand, the uncertainty of the economic environment makes people cautious about future income expectations, so they are more inclined to save and control spending. On the other hand, with the high degree of transparency and rapid dissemination of information, consumers have a clearer understanding of the value of catering products, and are no longer easily confused by inflated prices and excessive marketing. ”
While consumers are gradually reducing the unit value, entrepreneurs are becoming more and more rational. Catering is no longer the preferred track for novices. Chang Ning analyzed: "On the one hand, after experiencing a special period, consumers have gradually developed the habit of eating at home, the demand for eating out has decreased, and entrepreneurs have realized that the glory of the catering industry is no longer bright under the wave of store closures. On the other hand, under the influence of the decrease in the popularity of Zibo barbecue and Tianshui Malatang, and the cool business, the realistic cases of high investment and low return have made entrepreneurs recognize the fact that it is difficult for Internet celebrity catering to grow hong. ”
Although many franchisees have reduced or even canceled the franchise fee this year, there are also many brands such as Lele Tea and other new requirements: franchisees must have relevant experience, not start-ups. It can be seen that since the beginning of this year, there have been fewer novice players in the catering industry, more professional franchisees, and entrepreneurs and brands have become more pragmatic.
Zhao Yiming's franchise fee is 0 yuan
The catering industry seems to be under "siege", people who go out never want to come back, and those who want to enter the bureau don't feel comfortable staying inside. In short, unlike the frenzy of entrepreneurs in 2023, entrepreneurs have calmed down a lot in the first half of 2024.
(Popular News · Fengkou Financial Reporter Guan Yanan)