New technologies contribute to expansion of China’s catering industry

Beijing. June 8. Silkroadnews - In 2017, revenue of China’s catering enterprises reached 3.96 trillion yuan, of which 80% was provided by casual dining, People’s Daily report.
The Internet, big data and cloud computing have played an important role in innovating the catering industry. According to statistics, China’s online food delivery market hit 204.6 billion yuan ($31.9 billion) in 2017, 23 percent more than the previous year, the report says.
According to iiMedia Research, a global consulting agency, nearly 300 million people have already used online services to order food.
Analysts predict, with the development of technology it is possible that some of the most routine aspects of restaurant business will be performed by robots. For example, the Chinese e-commerce giant JD announced that its first smart restaurant will open to the public in August this year. All services at the restaurant will be performed by robots.
Young people also force the industry to innovate to meet their individual and diverse requirements. According to China’s major food delivery company Meituan, 74% of customers are people aged 20 to 35 years old.
The rapid expansion of the catering industry has caused a demand for young cooks. According to the Ministry of Education, the number of schools of public catering in China has grown from 85 in 2013 to 176 in 2018.