Near a university campus in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, a community specializing in takeout food production was found to be extremely dirty and chaotic. The stoves were dark and covered in grease, and three microwave ovens were stained with a yellow sticky substance. The small shop, claiming to be operating as “private domain takeout,” had staff members not wearing uniforms or masks, and the restroom was connected to the kitchen. These unauthorized establishments, known as “ghost takeout,” were recently reported by delivery drivers in Zhengzhou, attracting media attention and scrutiny.
According to a report by the Ningbo Evening News, following clues provided by the delivery drivers’ reports, a typical case of “ghost takeout” was discovered in a community near a university campus in Zhengzhou.
Entering the community, one could see some residential buildings along the street displaying “takeout” signs or stacking takeout boxes, with many delivery drivers coming and going in the alleys. Inside a closed-down daycare center within the compound, there were two small workshops specializing in takeout food without dining areas.
In one of these workshops that made pan-fried dumplings, the staff were not wearing uniforms or masks, the stoves were filthy, the restroom was connected to the kitchen, and spices were piled at the restroom entrance, with a noticeable odor wafting from the kitchen mixed with restroom smell. This shop was not registered on any takeout platform, did not obtain food operating qualifications, and operated as “private domain takeout,” mainly targeting nearby universities.
The shop owner claimed that “private domain takeout” was carried out through group orders using QR codes, with the owner having a food stall in a university canteen to direct customers to the shop, having established around 20 groups with hundreds of members each.
Next to it, a sandwich workshop that advertised itself as offering “light meals” also mainly distributed takeout to nearby universities. Pulling back the greasy curtain, the back kitchen was messy and not matching the photos displayed on the platform, including the falsely advertised dining area. Through a series of deceptive actions, their sales on the takeout platform showed significant numbers like “sold 200,000+.” Delivery drivers were constantly seen picking up orders at the spot next to a pile of garbage.
In another takeout shop called “Small Bowl Dishes,” the stove was dark and dirty, the floor sticky with multiple cigarette butts scattered, and three microwave ovens were covered in a yellow sticky substance, with a rice cooker heating a pot of “braised ribs” flavoring packet. Despite the shop’s claim on the takeout platform of “chefs cooking on-site, rejecting pre-made dishes, and using fresh ingredients,” the so-called “on-site cooking” was actually “microwave heating.” A customer review on their takeout platform store read, “The container is hot but the food is cold, clearly microwaved.”
Within just a short time, over a dozen delivery drivers were observed picking up orders at this location. By the time the shop was inspected, its takeout platform page showed “monthly sales of 900+.”
The topic of “Delivery drivers exposing the chaos of ‘ghost takeout'” trended on January 23, sparking discussions among numerous netizens.
“Lgilu”: Useless to simply discover, heavy penalties are needed! Food safety issues should also be punishable by law, otherwise, there is no deterrent effect.
“Zongshengdur”: Platforms and the government should work together to regulate this, closing down establishments as they are discovered instead of just fining them, only to see more of these ‘ghost takeouts’ later on.
“Ouyz888”: People want food to be good, convenient, and still need to give a cut to the platform! They want everything but don’t want to give businesses some profit, it’s truly a social tragedy!