The first batch of "adult dining tables" that swept the entire Internet have closed down

In our daily lives, we are always discouraged by the prices of goods on the market. Consumer "assassins" hurt the wallets of workers. "Small dining tables" have become the choice of many workers, but now they have fallen. Why? This article describes the relevant content and I hope it will be helpful to you.

In the lives of young people, "assassins" emerge one after another.

These consumer "assassins" are just like the "assassins" in novels, with ordinary appearances, but they can inadvertently give people a "hard stab". The "assassins" in novels hurt people, but the consumer "assassins" hurt the wallets of workers.

Last year, the topic was about the ice cream assassin, whose plain packaging often cost more than 20 yuan, causing many people to exclaim that they "can no longer afford ice cream". This year, the catering "assassin" is stabbing at the wallets of young people, with topics such as "I only dare to eat spicy hot pot on the day I get my salary" and "I can't afford Lao Xiang Chicken with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan" frequently appearing on hot searches.

The ice cream "assassins" made the snow lotus ice that costs 50 cents a bag popular, while the catering "assassins" made the "small dining tables" and community canteens popular - having a meal with children and the elderly is healthy and cheap.

Community canteens have become a treasure trove for young people. Compared with community canteens which have some public welfare attributes and serve the community people, "small dining tables" are much more popular: this catering service model, which was originally aimed at primary and secondary school students, has become popular again because of working people.

Workers took the initiative to become "dinner partners" with primary and secondary school students, eating a lunch that costs more than ten yuan a meal, which is "healthy and hygienic." Social platforms have made related topics quickly popular: on Xiaohongshu, there are more than 30,000 notes related to "small dining table"; on Douyin, the topic #小饭桌# has been played 210 million times.

Where there is demand, there is a market; where there is traffic, there is monetization. Countless young people have seen this popularity and started the "adult dining table" business.

Unlike the "small dining tables" that mainly provide offline dine-in services for primary and secondary school students, the business model of "small dining tables for adults" is mainly to connect through social platforms and reach users within 5 kilometers in the form of takeout.

"No cooking packets, gutter oil or leftover food are used, ensuring freshness, health and hygiene." Jin Yue, who works at an Internet company in Beijing, posted a note on Xiaohongshu at the end of June this year, which quickly attracted more than 20 comments and seven or eight regular customers. However, after only 20 days of prosperity, Jin Yue chose to close the business: "I counted the accounts and found that I lost money."

In addition to Jinyue, many "small adult dining tables" that have been in operation for less than a month have also announced their closure. Unable to control costs, insufficient volume, compliance issues... From the Internet's popularity to the entry of many players to do business, less than a month later, the first batch of "small adult dining tables" players have already left the market.

1. The first batch of "small adult dining tables" have closed down

"Last day of business, we will close after today!"

Jin Yue sent a message to her customer group and soon received several replies, "Why don't you do it anymore?" "No, boss, I still want a monthly subscription!"

Young people sign up for "Little Canteen" In April and May this year, many adults joined "Little Canteen" and became "dinner partners" with primary school students. In June, "Little Canteen" hit the heat of various catering "assassins" and became popular again on the Internet: a meal costs less than 20 yuan, and 500-1000 yuan can cover lunch and dinner for a month, with a reasonable combination of meat and vegetables, full and healthy.

Under the popularity, some people saw the demand and started the business of "small dining tables for adults". There are many posts soliciting business on platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Weibo and Xianyu. Young people use social platforms to expand their business radius and reach more potential customers.

Among them are professional players who regard "small adult dining tables" as a business, freelancers who have more free time, and workers who regard "small adult dining tables" as a "side job".

But within a month, the first batch of players had already left the market, and some people online advised others who wanted to join: "Don't set up a 'small dining table for adults'. Don't think that you can just cook for a few more people. You will find out how difficult it is when you really do it."

Many "small adult restaurants" have closed down. The reason is, first of all, it's too tiring.

Jin Yue is an employee of an Internet company in Beijing. In June, she saw the popularity of "small dining tables" on the Internet, so she tried it with enthusiasm. "I often make lunch and bring it to the company. I can't finish the food by myself. A colleague once paid me to make lunch for her. Maybe I can make some money."

At first, Jin Yue only needed to prepare three lunches a day, but later, she had to prepare seven. The time she spent cooking in the morning increased from less than an hour to more than two hours. Cooking in the summer is a torment, and she had to carry three or four thermal bags with her. At noon, she would hand over the food to the delivery guy at the company or wait for customers downstairs to pick up the food, leaving her with only more than 20 minutes for lunch.

Many "small adult restaurants" operate independently, with one person being responsible for customer service, publicity, grocery shopping, food preparation, production, packaging and delivery, which takes a lot of energy and time every day.

Second, the returns are too low.

Jin Yue did business for nearly 20 days and earned more than 300 yuan after deducting the cost of ingredients and packaging fees, an average of 15 yuan a day, which is "too uneconomical."

Yuyuan, who once partnered with a friend to run a "small dining table" for students, saw the popularity this year and rekindled his entrepreneurial spirit, starting an "adult small dining table" business.

Grilled chicken wings made from taro balls. Taro Yuan lives in Hefei, Anhui Province. She refers to local prices and prices two meat dishes and one vegetable dish at 18-20 yuan. She can sell about 20 servings a day. "Including the packaging fee, the cost of a serving of meal is about 10-12 yuan. I do business within a two-kilometer radius and find a familiar delivery boy for delivery. It costs 4-5 yuan per order, and I only make a few yuan for each order. It takes four or five hours a day, and the hourly wage is not as good as the part-time jobs at McDonald's and KFC."

Finally, there is the issue of compliance.

Most operators of "small adult dining tables" have not thought about the relevant issues. Questioning comments have appeared under some promotional posts, such as "Don't run a restaurant business without a health certificate." Some people also advised, "Go and apply for a food business license as soon as possible. It would be bad if you run into a professional counterfeiter."

In Yuyuan's view, the "small dining table for adults" is more like a marketing tool and product test in the catering industry. She plans to rent a store and do professional business after obtaining all the certificates. But she is not sure whether she can succeed in the end. "Recently, more and more 'small dining tables' have announced that they will stop operating. I don't know how many customers we can get after the novelty wears off."

2. Fighting back against the "assassins", but becoming the "assassin"

"Small dining tables" are nothing new.

Yuyuan learned about the "small dining tables" business ten years ago, but at that time it was mainly of a custodial nature, with catering services being just one of the links. "Before the double reductions, many 'small dining tables' were tied to the education and training industry. There are fewer now, but many still have the position of tutors who can help with homework, and parents pay more for custodial and tutoring services."

Many "small restaurants" are recruiting teachers. In comparison, the business of "small adult restaurants" is more inclined towards catering services, and they basically do take-out.

Less than a month after it became popular, the working people have been "demystified". The "adult dining table" that once fought back against the "assassins" in the catering industry has also become a "price assassin" in the eyes of many people.

On platforms such as Xiaohongshu, Douyin and Xianyu, the price of "adult dining tables" in first- and second-tier cities is basically 30-35 yuan per meal, while the price in third- and fourth-tier cities is 20-25 yuan, and some are priced at more than 50 yuan.

In addition to the higher prices, many orders require customers to pick up the food themselves or order express delivery.

The "2023 China Chinese Catering White Paper" mentioned that the average customer spending per meal at fast food rice bowl chains in first-tier cities is around 29 yuan, while the average customer spending per meal at takeout restaurants in first-tier cities is around 32 yuan.

Data from Zhaimen Canyan shows that among Chinese fast food chains, the average customer spending of Xiangcunji, Lao Xiangji and Lao Niangjiu is 21.14 yuan, 25.18 yuan and 29.53 yuan respectively; among foreign fast food chains, the average customer spending of McDonald's, Burger King and KFC is 27.87 yuan, 30.93 yuan and 34.85 yuan respectively.

The average customer spending at Homemade Chicken and McDonald's is no more than RMB 30. The pricing of "small adult dining tables" in first- and second-tier cities has surpassed that of many chain restaurants.

"At first I saw online that 'small dining tables' were cheaper than takeout and healthier, but after trying a few, I found that they were expensive, had poor quality control, and I couldn't choose my own dishes. In the end I just ordered takeout." Sisi, who works in Hangzhou, usually spends around 25 to 30 yuan on lunch. The "small adult dining table" she ordered cost 30 to 35 yuan, but the quality was not very good. Once she even had scrambled eggs with tomatoes that were burnt and had eggshells.

Xu Ru, a mother from Yuhang District, Hangzhou, started to run an "adult dining table" on June 22. The price of one portion is 35 yuan, which is considered a price "assassin" in the eyes of workers. "I usually go to Hema, Qiandama and Mingkanghui to buy groceries. The cost of two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes is about 20 yuan. The delivery fee is included in the order within 2 kilometers. If it is a flash delivery, the delivery fee for one portion is 10-15 yuan."

The errand running and express delivery services are priced at 10 to 15 yuan each time, which seems like an "assassin". However, Xu Ru only earned less than 100 yuan a week, so she gave up. "If you want to make money, you have to raise the price. 35 yuan is already considered too expensive, and few people will buy it at 40 yuan."

"Either go for price or go for quantity. 'Small dining tables' became popular because they are cheap. Price is not the answer. The only option is to go for quantity. You have to negotiate prices with suppliers to reduce costs. But it's basically one person's job. When the quantity increases, you have to consider manpower and time issues. It's hard for input and output to be proportional." Yuyuan explained why the prices of "small dining tables for adults" are generally high.

In her opinion, it is difficult for amateur players' "adult dining tables" to achieve standardized operations, let alone profitability. They are inevitably regarded as "wallet assassins" in the eyes of workers.

3. Catering business, with the concept of "small dining table"

"I was just full of enthusiasm and thought that 'small but beautiful', but when I really started, I found that I was working in the catering industry, which is a thankless job." Jin Yue summed up her short-lived "adult small dining table" business in one sentence.

From the lunch boxes and mobile lunch boxes stalls at construction sites that are rated by major food bloggers as full at 10 yuan and good at 15 yuan, to the Northeast lunch box buffet with 40 dishes at 15 yuan that has been discussed by the whole network, to the "small dining tables" and community canteens where children and the elderly compete for food, behind them are vivid portrayals of "workers have suffered for a long time". A cost-effective meal can capture countless young workers who value cost-effectiveness after consumption downgrades.

Self-service boxed lunches and construction site canteens have also become favorites of workers, but what cannot be ignored is that these cheap meals that have become popular online are essentially still catering businesses. Although they are cheap, the businesses behind them can still make profits by relying on scale, standardized processes and volume.

With the explosive popularity of "Adult Dining Table", some professional companies have started to develop WeChat mini-programs, bringing together sellers and buyers with needs.

"Small adult dining table" is a way for young people to monetize their skills, and it is also a practice of applying the concept of the Internet to the catering business. However, in essence, it still depends on the three elements of "people, goods, and place". If any one of the elements is not met, it will affect the final business results.

The "small adult dining table" that sells handicrafts is positioned to meet the daily needs of workers and is limited to community catering. It is difficult to achieve the ideal profit level and market scale, and it cannot become a business with certain demand like construction site lunch boxes and lunch buffets. It is difficult to increase the volume when it is regarded as a "sideline". Many "price assassins" have also changed the meaning of "cheap". Even health and hygiene seem a little subtle without a health certificate and non-compliance.

As early as 2016, concepts similar to "small adult dining table" such as home chef and neighbor's meal had become popular, and also brought popularity to online food ordering platforms such as Go Home to Eat, Find Food, Yami, and Neighbor Food.

In the past, Jiajiao Dining was doing a business similar to "small dining tables for adults". Then the government began to control unlicensed catering services. At that time, the government made it clear to the media that Beijing and even the whole country had not issued catering or food licenses to private chefs. "Private chefs" with residential buildings as addresses were not allowed to operate online takeout delivery. Many home cooking platforms also disappeared under the control.

Fast forward to the present, the first batch of players have left the market, but the concept of "small adult dining table" is still hot, and countless "side job" players are eager to try. They do not intend to make this a long-term business, but are just exploring the possibility of monetization under the popularity, engaging in a "sharing economy". Even if they fail in the end, it is just a change from cooking more dishes to cooking fewer dishes.

Yu Yuan, who plans to turn the "small dining table for adults" into a long-term business, is somewhat confused about the future: "In the end, it will definitely be normalized and standardized. I don't plan to make it too expensive. If I want to make money, I have to sell in large quantities. At that time, I will have to hire two aunties to help. But if so, wouldn't it become a small restaurant? What's the difference between it and takeout?"

Author: Wang Zhan

Source: WeChat public account "E-commerce Online"