In Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, a five-star hotel recently set up a street stall to sell food, with the general manager of the hotel expressing indifference to what others may say about the stall offering discounted prices. This news made it to the top searches in mainland China on July 6th.
A video from the Henan Livelihood Channel on July 5th showed that the stall opened at 5 p.m. and sold out in just 37 minutes, as explained by the on-site chef. Mr. Lei, the general manager of the hotel, stated, “We don’t see ourselves as special just because we’re a five-star hotel. Some people say that running a street stall is beneath a five-star hotel, but how much is reputation really worth?”
The price list displayed in the video showed items such as peculiar-flavored peanuts priced at 15 yuan per box and pig’s feet at 48 yuan each.
According to the Zhengzhou Daily, the hotel in question is located at Yonghe Platinum International Hotel on Jingshui East Road in Zhengzhou. The dishes displayed in the window all had clearly marked prices.
A local resident, Mr. Wang, told the media, “I just came to join in the fun. If it’s too expensive, I’ll just leave, but the prices are fair, similar to those outside, so it’s acceptable.”
Online user “太子5o” commented, “It’s really a move of helplessness. If salaries were paid properly, who would want their employees to compete for business at street stalls in high temperatures? Improving the city’s investment environment, attracting investment from outsiders to Zhengzhou, and retaining outside investment and talent is essential.”
“迷途JZ” added, “It’s tough even for big hotels nowadays. In Zhejiang, they’ve been doing this for a while, with 4.5-star hotels setting up stands on regular streets, and business is booming.”
“庚永zS” noted, “Hotels and guesthouses are setting up stalls in front of their lobbies just to survive.”
“Huang Yongming Cugar” believed, “Currently, every industry is struggling, it’s too overwhelming, with a large population and declining trade. There will be even more people flowing back to street markets. It will take about twenty years for things to get better, and by then, we might not even be concerned about this anymore.”