After the Chinese Communist Party implemented the “alcohol ban” in May, upscale hotels setting up stalls have rapidly spread across the country. Recently, the news of a 73-year-old upscale hotel in Nanchong, Sichuan, selling marinated dishes at a stall has once again sparked attention.
According to a report on July 18 by the Cover News, the head chef of the long-established upscale hotel Beihu Guesthouse in downtown Nanchong started setting up a stall on July 15. They sell buns and steamed buns in the morning, and marinated dishes such as braised pig head meat, braised chicken, and goose in the evening. The stall is located in the parking lot near the back gate of the hotel close to the People’s Park.
The prices show that for breakfast, there are a total of 6 dishes including cabbage buns at 2 yuan each, soy milk at 1.5 yuan per cup, and fried dough sticks at 1 yuan each. For the takeout marinated dishes in the evening, there are 12 dishes including braised pig head meat, beef tendon, mushroom liver, chicken feet, pig tail, braised tofu, kelp, lotus root slices, and more.
Among them, braised pig head meat is priced at 38 yuan per half kilogram, braised goose at 40 yuan per half kilogram, braised chicken at 35 yuan per half kilogram… The most expensive is braised beef tendon at 110 yuan per half kilogram. Chef Yao, who has been in charge of cutting and packaging at the stall, has been preparing banquets for over twenty years. Next to the stall, there is a dedicated person from the hotel live streaming.
Reportedly, the 18th was the fourth night of the night stall at Beihu Guesthouse. Within less than an hour of opening, all the marinated dishes were sold out.
According to the travel service platform “Ctrip,” Beihu Guesthouse is located in the main city center of Nanchong, the second-largest city in Sichuan in terms of population. It is a high-end luxury hotel that integrates accommodation, dining, entertainment, business, and conferences. It is marked as a four-star hotel on the platform and ranks first in Nanchong’s high-end hotels in the “Reputation List.” Additionally, a cultural wall inside the hotel indicates that Beihu Guesthouse was established in 1952, later renamed Beihu Guesthouse, and has been a long-established upscale hotel for 73 years.
Why would a long-established upscale hotel with a 73-year history set up a stall? Tang Hu, the Executive Chef at Beihu Guesthouse and a Sichuan provincial “Heavenly Chef,” stated that setting up the stall was a decision made by the hotel management as a proactive response to changes in the catering industry. Starting from July 15, based on the situation of the first three days, business is better than expected.
In the past two months, various upscale hotels in China, including many five-star hotels and foreign-owned hotels, have been setting up stalls on the roadside to sell boxed meals, marinated cooked food, and more. These related topics have repeatedly made it to the hot search rankings, sparking discussions among consumers.
Some netizens expressed their amazement, “I didn’t expect to have a proper meal at a five-star hotel in Zhengzhou for only 2 RMB!” “Five-star knife skills, street stall prices, this move is impressive!” “There are many in the streets of Hefei.” “Stalls are popping up nationwide.” “Hotels are saving themselves, benefiting the people! Good move!”
However, many netizens have concerns, “When big hotels and chefs set up stalls, what about small restaurants and chefs? Can they survive together? Or is it survival of the fittest in the jungle?” “This forces the survival space for small eateries; even eighth-tier city hotels have started doing this.” “High-end hotels are taking over the market of small restaurants; it seems like they can only close. “Grabbing the market from small businesses, the economy seems indeed not good.” “The ups and downs in the catering industry.”
Some analysis suggests that with official receptions being reduced, foreign business contracting, and large companies cutting down on travel expenses, upscale hotels have no choice but to “bend down” to make a profit.
For further reading:
Chinese Five-star Hotels Set Up Stalls to Make Takeout and Earn Money.