In an era of rapid change, the catering industry is undergoing unprecedented transformation. In 2025, the Chinese catering industry will present four major trends, bringing new opportunities and challenges to practitioners.

Industrial Structure Efficiency as a Key to Competition

The catering industry is highly competitive, with the rate of brand chain operations continuously increasing. However, the negative growth of small chains is also very significant. To establish a foothold in the market, catering brands are increasingly focusing on supply chain construction. By deeply participating in or even building their own supply chains, brands can reduce costs and improve efficiency. For example, Home Original Chicken's supply chain covers the entire process from breeding farms to central kitchens, with a cold chain system for regional distribution; McDonald's ensures the efficient operation of its supply chain through customized procurement and pre-processed product distribution. As the rate of chain operations grows, the boundaries of the supply chain are also expanding. More and more enterprises are entering the fields of food processing, logistics, and front-end agriculture, promoting the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries and enhancing the efficiency of the industrial structure.

Data-Driven Decision Making as a Mandatory Skill

The application of digital technology in the catering industry is becoming more widespread, but the real value lies in how to use data for decision-making. The shift from experience-driven to data-driven is key to enhancing the competitiveness of catering brands. For example, through data analysis to design investment models, the layout of satellite stores (stores dedicated to takeout) can be planned in advance. Satellite stores, with their low cost and high efficiency, are suitable for brands with strong momentum, using brand value to obtain sufficient orders and easily crossing the break-even line. Brands can achieve a closed loop from data to decision-making by combining "large stores focusing on service, small stores handling takeout" with data-optimized management and production processes.

Consumer Stratification Spurs Personalization and Scenario Demands

China's catering consumption shows a clear trend of stratification, with both price reduction and quality improvement coexisting. Takeout consumption below 30 yuan accounts for 74.3%, while the per capita consumption range of 91-120 yuan shows significant growth in dine-in scenarios. This trend brings new opportunities for snack and fast-food categories and also requires merchants to pay more attention to customers' personalization and scenario demands. Merchants need to use data analysis to accurately target their audience, solve specific problems for customers, and design products, environments, and services according to customer needs. For example, to meet the family dining needs of working mothers, restaurants can provide menus suitable for the elderly and children, set up more tables for four and private rooms, and train employees to understand relevant cultural customs, thereby improving service quality and achieving word-of-mouth spread.

Going Global Becomes a Trend, Accelerating the Integration of Chinese and Foreign Cuisines

Going global in the catering industry is becoming the choice of more and more brands. Markets in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia have huge potential. Chinese catering brands have leading advantages in production technology, brand marketing, category richness, product innovation, and the degree of digital application. However, going global also faces many challenges, such as legal barriers and supply chain issues. Brands need to compromise on ingredients, find local substitutes, build global supply chains, and even achieve supply chain globalization before store globalization. Although the threshold is high, successful global brands will face fewer competitors, can quickly replicate successful models, and promote further integration of Chinese and foreign catering industries.

Conclusion

In 2025, the Chinese catering industry will welcome new development opportunities in terms of industrial structure efficiency, data-driven decision-making, consumer stratification, and going global. Practitioners need to keep up with trends, seize opportunities, and enhance brand competitiveness through innovation and change, achieving sustainable development. China Food Exhibition points out that in this era full of challenges and opportunities, only those enterprises that can perceive trends and be brave in innovation can stand out in the fierce market competition.

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Source: Liu Run

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