Recently, several Sichuan and Chongqing hotpot restaurant owners have been "touring" multiple countries to explore markets. One founder of a hotpot brand, known to a hotpot restaurant, spent the entire Spring Festival holiday abroad. This indicates that many industry players have begun to seize every moment to seek blue oceans.

After exploring restaurants and markets, it was discovered that not only Southeast Asia and Japan, but even in Europe, many hotpot restaurants going abroad are opening one after another.

After communicating with several experienced overseas restaurant owners, it was found that there still exists a certain "information gap" regarding the overseas food market.

Many overseas restaurants have more than 80% of customers who are foreigners.

Traditionally, the customer base of overseas hotpot restaurants is mainly composed of local Chinese and international students. However, this situation is changing.

Co-founder of Hotpot, told Hotpot Observation that in 2018, foreign customers accounted for about 30% of theourrestaurant's customer base, which has now doubled, reaching over 80% in the Madrid branch in Spain.

After conducting in-depth market research in Berlin, Germany, before opening its first overseas store,one Hotpot restaurant increased products that meet local demands, such as beef and lamb. Although it is currently in the trial operation stage, the proportion of foreign consumers has also exceeded 80%.

Taking the London branch of Hai Di Lao as an example, the proportion of local customers has exceeded 50%, with dining scenes mainly focused on family gatherings, business, and friend meetings.

In addition, overseas stores are no longer limited to opening in Chinese communities or their vicinity, and the local recognition and willingness to consume hotpot are also increasing.

More than just opportunities in culturally similar Southeast Asia Undeniably, Southeast Asia is geographically close to China and shares cultural similarities, and many hotpot brands have achieved good results by expanding into Southeast Asia. However, looking at the global market, many foreign markets have also shown increased acceptance and frequency of hotpot consumption.

Looking at the sales data of several overseas stores ofone Hotpot restaurant, by the end of 2023, the Madrid branch in Spain had a monthly turnover of approximately 4.9 million yuan, stabilizing from the initial trial of about 80 tables per day to over 100 tables per day after opening. Looking at the New York branch in the United States, the monthly turnover of a single store reached as high as 5.3 million yuan, andthis restaurant has opened three stores in New York.

Increasing acceptance of tripe and beef throat among foreign customers Due to differences in dietary and cultural habits, many foreign customers, especially those from Europe and the United States, have difficulty accepting animal offal. However, this inherent perception is changing.

During the tasting process at a hotpot restaurant in New York, several foreign customers showed surprised expressions after trying tripe and beef throat, stating that the taste and texture were like opening up a new world.

Additionally, based on the sales of related dishes in its global stores, in places like South Africa and India, the demand for offal is also increasing.

Moreover, the variety and quality of hotpot soup bases and hot pot sauces play a crucial role in attracting and retaining customers in the competitive international market. The artful blend of traditional Sichuan and Chongqing flavors with local ingredients and preferences enhances the overall hotpot dining experience for both local and foreign patrons.