This report was updated on July 23, 2024
If you are in the United States, you must have sensed the emergence of more and more around the Chinese food chain brands in the past two years, they have crossed the ocean, have come in, enriching our dining options, but also soothe the majority of Chinese “miss the domestic that bite” of the emotions.
But you may not have thought that Chinese food out of the sea could be so profitable.
The Global Impact of Chinese Food
With the increasing influence of Chinese food and culture in the world, Chinese food brands are opening stores all over the world, and have become a popular item with great potential to attract money.
Success Stories of Haijiaolu
Haidilao is a prime example, with a global store count of over 1,700, of which 1,374 are located in China and the rest in 15 countries.2024 On February 20, Haidilao issued a profit forecast stating that its expected annual revenues for the year ending December 31, 2023 were higher than 41.4 billion yuan (approximately US$5.7 billion).2025 Haidilao is also the largest international Chinese food brand in terms of the number of stores in the world, with 1,374 located in China, and the rest in 15 countries. Today Haidilao is the international Chinese food brand with the largest number of countries covered by its stores and the largest local Chinese food brand abroad in terms of revenue.
Distribution of Haidilao stores in the United States
As of April 2024, Haidilao has 13 stores in the U.S., primarily in the California region
Other Famous Chinese Food Brands Sailing to the U.S.
Happy Sheep
On top of that, there is Happy Little Sheep from Inner Mongolia. As of April 2024, Happy Little Sheep has 25 stores in the United States, according to North American Restaurant Pass. Seven of them are in California, followed by four each in Illinois and Texas, and three in Massachusetts.
As of April 2024, Happy Little Sheep has 25 stores in the United States
Liu Yushu (1949-), first-hand accountant of the Chinese communist party
Liu Shou ranked third in the number of hot pot restaurants going overseas, with 10 stores in the United States.
As of April 2024, Liu's Hand has 10 stores in the United States
Other hotpot brands
In addition to the above three hot pot restaurants with the largest number of stores, there are also Hill City Spicy Girls, Daroyaka, Xiaolongkan, Xiangtian, Dezhuang, etc., all of which are located in the major Chinese areas in the United States, especially on the east and west coasts and in Texas and Chicago. This fresh and spicy hot pot culture is really appetizing.
The Rise of Tea Drinking Brands in the U.S.
In addition to hot pot, another category that is popular among young people to go out to sea is tea drinks.
dimsum
In the honey snow ice city is still plowing the market in Asia at the moment, the tea has two New York stores opened not long ago, and almost 100% copy of the hardware and software equipment used in the country, there are still a number of stores in the pipeline. As the domestic tea drinks “top stream”, hi tea in the already very competitive New York set off another wave of queuing tide. Not to mention Gongcha, Happy Lemon, Fast Keli three tea drink chain giants that have long been spread throughout the United States, firmly entrenched.
tribute tea
As of April 2024, Gong Cha has 222 stores in the U.S., primarily in California, Texas, East, South
Happy Lemon
As of April 2024, Happy Lemon had 115 stores in the U.S., primarily in California, Washington and Texas
Quickly, tapioca milk tea franchise
As of April 2024, Quickly has 97 stores in the U.S., primarily in California, the East Coast and Chicago
Chinese Food Brands Going Overseas to U.S. Charts
There are so many different types of Chinese food brands that go to sea that we have drawn up the following list for you based on the North American Restaurant Link's Chinese food brands going to sea database, for reference only.
A list of Chinese restaurant brands that have gone overseas to the United States
From the table above, the brands that have successfully gone overseas are mainly focused on the two major categories of tea drinks and hot pots. Both have strong Chinese cultural characteristics and offer a unique dining experience. Hotpot is known for its social attributes and “ambience”, making it ideal for families and friends, while tea drinks are popular among young people for their variety and innovation (e.g. milk tea, fruit tea, etc.).
The Prospects of Doing Chinese Food Out of the Sea in the U.S.
Good market base
More than 60 million overseas Chinese for Chinese food overseas market has laid a good market foundation, not to mention the United States of America's food and beverage volume is very large, and China is about the same, and is expected to be more than a trillion dollars this year. However, there are only about 800,000 catering establishments, which is only 1/9 of China's. The number of Chinese food in the U.S. is only one-third of China's, but the pricing of Chinese food in the U.S. is 5-7 times of China's. So doing catering in the U.S. is at its best. So doing catering in the United States is in the best time.
Promising and advantageous categories
The United States has the highest percentage of fast food consumption in the world. Most Americans eat at fast food restaurants 1-3 times per week. Some data shows that 36.6% of American adults eat fast food every day. So there is a big opportunity for short and fast Chinese food. Of course, not all categories are suitable for the sea, the North American food and beverage pass suggested reference categories: tea drinks, dumplings and snacks with filling pasta, spicy hot pot, fried rice, chow mein, bibimbap, ramen, dessert stores, barbecue, and hot pot.
At the same time, since the wave of Chinese food going overseas has exploded, opportunities in the Chinese food supply chain have also arrived. Market opportunities for some compound seasonings and prepared dishes are also abundant.
Chinese food out to America is the wave of the times
There are more and more non-Chinese groups falling in love with colorful Chinese food. Therefore, caterers should have confidence in doing Chinese food at sea. As long as we love Chinese food and this industry, we have a chance to succeed.
Thirty years ago, KFC entered the Chinese market, leading the trend of American fast food and enriching everyone's dietary structure; 30 years later, Chinese food going to sea has become the wave of the times, shouldering the mission of spreading Chinese food culture to every corner of the world and bringing the taste of home to the majority of overseas Chinese, and making great strides forward.
