In some regions of China, the popular dumpling and alcohol restaurants are starting to close down. This comes just under three months after the trend of these establishments took off in January of this year, with some shutting their doors after only being open for two months.
At the end of 2025, a wave of highly similar dumpling and alcohol restaurants emerged in cities like Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, Jilin, Panjin, and Jinzhou in the northeastern region. These establishments featured dim lighting, cement floors, simple wooden tables, plastic stools priced at ten yuan each, walls adorned with slogans like “Life is short, fill the cup with wine,” and big screens playing nostalgic playlists of music from the 70s and 80s. Additionally, each table was equipped with a speaker for customers to sing and engage in lively conversations as they enjoyed their drinks.
Due to low initial investments and easy replicability, many entrepreneurs were drawn to the idea of opening dumpling and alcohol restaurants. In Shenyang’s Hunnan District, there even emerged a “Dumpling and Alcohol Restaurant Street” with ten establishments in less than a kilometer. The trend quickly spread from the northeast to cities like Beijing, Tianjin, Xi’an, and Chengdu. However, this flourishing period was short-lived.
According to a report by Guangdong Hongcan Technology Co., Ltd.’s “Hongcan Network” on March 12, Zhang Jia (pseudonym), a specialist in finding and transferring businesses in Shenyang, revealed that “in the month from January up to now, over ten owners of dumpling and alcohol restaurants have approached me for business transfers.” In the latter half of last year, there were many who sought locations to open such establishments, but as the new year arrived, the trend seemed to shift.
Chen Yao (pseudonym) invested 210,000 Chinese yuan in her restaurant but only made less than 8,000 yuan in revenue in the first month, sometimes not even reaching 200 yuan in a day. After just over a month of operation, Chen Yao was considering closing down her establishment. Wang Ruxin (pseudonym) in Jining invested nearly 700,000 yuan but closed within two months, essentially losing all the investment. The owner of Changchun’s Noodles Hello invested 180,000 yuan, opened in November of last year, but couldn’t sustain the business beyond January of this year.
“Daniu Ge,” who specializes in finding and transferring businesses in Changchun, stated that since the beginning of this year, he has received inquiries for business transfers from nearly ten dumpling and alcohol restaurants, most of which had been in operation for only 1 to 3 months.
On the 58.com platform, there are over thirty dumpling and alcohol restaurants in cities like Jilin, Panjin, Harbin, Shenyang that are up for transfer or sale, priced between 150,000 to 500,000 yuan.
The downturn of dumpling and alcohol restaurants in such a short period has been analyzed by Hongcan Network, attributing it to the fact that these establishments relied more on ambiance than the quality of the products. The owner of the Dafei Dumpling and Alcohol Restaurant in Shenyang stated, “Customers come here not just for the food but for the lively atmosphere and emotional release.” If the owner fails to create a vibrant atmosphere and lacks social influence, the establishment quickly transitions from a “lively restaurant” to an ordinary small-scale eatery.
Additionally, regional factors have played a role in the rise and fall of these establishments. Dumpling and alcohol restaurants thrived in the northeast due to the strong drinking culture in the area, where the atmosphere was easily ignited. However, in the southern regions, the scenario was entirely different.
Furthermore, the primary consumers of dumpling and alcohol restaurants are middle-aged individuals aged 40 to 50, who have family responsibilities and a limited budget for leisure activities. They are willing to spend around 30 to 60 yuan per person for a lively evening. If the prices are higher, their willingness to spend decreases significantly.
Lastly, dumpling and alcohol restaurants are essentially products of “emotional consumption” rather than sustainable business models in the food and beverage industry. Their “fast birth and death” nature is inherently limited by the commercial model itself.