Shanghai restaurant sees trade pick up after shutdown

SHANGHAI－The catering sector, among a number of industries hardest hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak, is gingerly restoring business while carrying out strict prevention measures as the epidemic eases in China.

Shanghai Guyi Garden Restaurant, a time-honored brand famous for local signature food xiaolongbao, or steamed buns, is bustling again after the city lowered its emergency response to the outbreak and encouraged eateries to reopen.

Diners have their temperatures checked and hands disinfected before entering the restaurant. They must sit at separate tables to satisfy their appetites after being cooped up at home for months.

"This is the first time that I've dined out in about two months," said a local resident surnamed Xu. "I drove from downtown Shanghai with my friend to have the delicate dish. Today I finally satisfied the craving."

Since the restaurant reopened on March 15, its business has gradually picked up.

"Now it has restored about 60-70 percent of its normal turnover," said Zhang Yukang, general manager of Guyi Garden.

According to Zhang, the restaurant has added new flavors of xiaolongbao to its menu, which are proving popular with diners. "We provide rich and palatable dishes to ensure every customer can enjoy the best xiaolongbao in Shanghai."

Official data show that more than 70 percent of eateries in Shanghai have resumed normal operations and restored dine-in service after efforts to curb the epidemic finally paid off.

"The situation has greatly improved in China. Local government has also rolled out supportive measures to help the catering industry pull through these hard times," Zhang said.

At the Yuyuan Garden Mall branch of Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, a leading restaurant chain in Shanghai, customers need only show their "health codes"－proof that a user is symptom-free－before entering the mall without a repeated temperature check inside the restaurant.

"We set up a separate space on the third floor to ensure a safe dining environment for customers," said one staff member. "We also recommended them to scan QR codes on the table to place an order in an effort to reduce contact as much as possible."

The steamed bun restaurant resumed business on March 9 after a closure lasting around one and a half months.

On the day of reopening, it introduced a new flavor featuring bamboo shoot soup with fresh and pickled streaky pork to attract diners.

"Despite fewer restaurantgoers and gloomy sales compared to the pre-epidemic period, we feel better day by day and confident that business will return to normal in the near future," said You Yumin, the sixth-generation inheritor of the brand.

Xinhua