This year, pre-made dishes are like a controversial star, standing in the spotlight of the food world. This topic has set off waves in the minds of consumers, who are uneasy about the phenomenon of "pre-made dishes entering the campus" and "pre-made dishes taking over restaurants". In particular, the Yuan Kee Yun Dumpling incident was like a bomb, detonating widespread public doubts about pre-made dishes, and many consumers felt deceived that there was a deep-seated crisis of trust behind it. At the same time, the industry has given high recognition to prefabricated dishes, and it is regarded as a ray of life in the cold winter in the catering industry.
In this big discussion about pre-made dishes, the attitude of merchants is due to financial pressure and cost considerations. In June this year, in a wedding banquet in Hangzhou with a table of 5988 yuan as the standard, as many as seventy percent of the dishes were actually prefabricated foods, and this news quickly appeared on the hot search list. The incident sparked widespread discussion and public discontent emerged. People are starting to question why they spend ** in a restaurant and eat pre-made dishes?Behind this situation is the dilemma of the catering industry. According to the 2022 China F&B Industry Annual Report, raw materials, rent and labor costs have accounted for a staggering 70%, leading to a so-called "low gross profit era" for the entire industry. In this case, prefabricated dishes have become the choice of many catering companies to cut costs and improve efficiency.
The emergence of pre-made dishes is not accidental, and it is an innovative way for the restaurant industry to cope with cost pressures. Through a standardized production process, prefabricated dishes can be produced on a large scale, thereby reducing costs. According to the China Hotel Association, the introduction of standardized pre-made dishes has increased the restaurant's net profit by about 7%. This transformation has not only changed the cost structure, but also improved the quality and consistency of food.
However, consumers' resistance to pre-made dishes is not directed at the product itself, but with businesses that lack transparency and integrity. In a survey by the Jiangsu Provincial Consumer Protection Commission, it was found that as many as 70% of consumers did not know that the dishes they ordered were actually pre-made dishes. This practice of "performing on the spot" not only misleads consumers, but also weakens consumers' trust in catering brands.
The future of pre-made dishes requires a balance between transparency and standardization. For consumers, it is their right to know the truth about the product. Therefore, the catering industry needs to increase the transparency of the production process, ensure food safety, and reduce the use of additives through modern technological means, while maintaining the freshness and taste of food.
Pre-made dishes are becoming increasingly prominent in the catering industry, but the key to their long-term success lies in earning the trust and support of consumers. A new consensus needs to be established between the catering industry and consumers: high-quality, transparent prepared dishes are an integral part of the modern catering industry. Only through continuous innovation and improvement can prefabricated dishes move from controversy to recognition and become an ideal choice in the minds of consumers.