Trade remains resilient despite market-wide slowdown
While consumer foodservice in China registered another positive performance in 2025, growth rates for total current value sales, transactions and outlet numbers fell below those recorded in 2024. The slowdown was partly attributable to maturity and population decline, but also reflected more cautious attitudes to discretionary spending amidst persistent economic uncertainty. With competitive pressures intensifying, operators across the market stepped up efforts to attract and retain customers via menu innovation, price-based promotions, loyalty programmes and improvements in service quality standards. This helped to ensure trade remained reasonably resilient on the whole, as did deeply ingrained consumption patterns, increasingly busy lifestyles and the expansion of leading chains.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Consumer Foodservice industry in China with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to the following key categories, where applicable:
- Cafés/Bars
- Full-Service Restaurants
- Limited-Service Restaurants
- Self-Service Cafeterias
- Street Stalls/Kiosks
- Consumer Foodservice by Location
If you're in the Consumer Foodservice industry in China, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Consumer Foodservice in China report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Consumer Foodservice in China?
- Which are the leading brands in Consumer Foodservice in China?
- How are multinational and local operators competing and expanding in China?
- How are consumer lifestyle trends and eating habits shaping Consumer Foodservice in China?
- How is the Consumer Foodservice industry adapting to a post-COVID-19 market environment? Where are the opportunities amidst the challenges?
- How significant are health considerations in shaping the future of Consumer Foodservice in China? Which of these trends hold the greatest potential demand?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Consumer Foodservice in China
Trade remains resilient despite market-wide slowdown
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Average spend per foodservice transaction shrinks in 2025
Delivery is the fastest growing fulfilment channel
Subscription-style loyalty programmes gain popularity
Value-seeking consumer behaviour will bring greater consolidation and polarisation
Regional cuisine, localisation and healthier choices will be key areas for innovation
Sustainability credentials set to become a more important point of competition
Yum! Restaurants China Co Ltd retains overall market lead in value terms
Ye Gelato is the most dynamic foodservice brand in 2025
Chained players increasingly focused on expansion into low-tier cities
Independents continue to lose ground to chained operators
DISCLAIMER
Cafés/Bars in China
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Current value growth dips as consumers curb discretionary spending
Specialist coffee and tea shops shows fastest development in value terms
Consolidation accelerates in specialist coffee and tea shops
Average spend per transaction continues to fall
Saturation and polarisation will temper growth potential
Delivery services set to gain importance in specialist coffee and tea shops
Frequent innovation will be necessary for chains to maintain consumer interest
Luckin Coffee (Beijing) Co Ltd remains the outright leader
Manner Coffee continues to rank among the fastest growing brands
Independents face biggest threat from chains in specialist coffee and tea shops
Full-Service Restaurants in China
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Average spend per transaction falls but trade remains resilient overall
Growth in outlet numbers slows as independents and chains show greater caution
European full-service restaurants is the fastest developing category
Consumer choices increasingly shaped by value-for-money considerations
Regional cuisine types and speciality dishes set to become more widely available
Delivery will continue to gain importance as a fulfilment channel
Lower-tier cities will remain key frontiers for expansion of chains
Leading chain Hai Di Lao Hot Pot suffers value sales decline
Xi Bei furore highlights tension between demands for authenticity and affordability
Independents continue to dominate full-service restaurants
Limited-Service Restaurants in China
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Trade remains robust despite increased budget-consciousness among consumers
Asian limited-service restaurants still the dominant category
Ice cream limited-service restaurants is the most dynamic performer
Delivery continues to gain ground at expense of eat-in channel
Affordability and convenience factors will continue to underpin steady demand
Delivery set to become the top fulfilment channel by value
Localisation will remain a vital strategy for international chains
Yum! Restaurants retains overall lead in value terms
Ye Gelato is the fastest growing brand in 2025
Independents continue to lose ground
Self-Service Cafeterias in China
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Heightened budget-consciousness favours self-service cafeterias
Pay-by-weight model proves increasingly popular
Regional cuisine types are a key area for menu diversification
Interest in vegetarian establishments remains strong
Attractive value-for-money proposition will continue to underpin category expansion
Influence of “wok hei” revival set to become more visible
Population ageing offers growth opportunities for self-service cafeterias
Mr Rice consolidates its already sizeable lead
In-store cafeterias operated by supermarkets pose growing competitive threat
Chained players remain dominant as independents continue to lose ground
Street Stalls/Kiosks in China
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Busier lifestyles and increased budget-consciousness boost trade
Drinks continue to generate lion’s share of total value sales
Delivery platform price war fuels growth of street stalls/kiosks
More operators extend opening hours and embrace 24/7 models
Convenience and cheaper menu prices will remain key selling points
Easing of delivery price war likely to contribute to greater consolidation
Tea specialists will continue to expand their coffee menus
Mixue Group strengthens its leading position
Cotti Coffee and Good me are the best performing brands in value growth terms
Chained operators retain largest share of total value sales
Consumer Foodservice By Location in China
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rental costs ease but competition for high-traffic locations intensifies
Consumer foodservice through retail grows fastest in value terms
Consumer foodservice through standalone remains the dominant category
Leisure category projected to be the most dynamic performer
Neighbourhood stores and university towns will be key retail growth drivers
Travel category set to benefit from heavy investment in transport infrastructure
Limited-service restaurants players remain strong in non-standalone locations
Mixue and Luckin Coffee among the top brands in standalone locations
DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Consumer Foodservice
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- Chained Consumer Foodservice
- Independent Consumer Foodservice
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- Chained Cafés/Bars
- Independent Cafés/Bars
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- Chained Bars/Pubs
- Independent Bars/Pubs
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- Chained Cafés
- Independent Cafés
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- Chained Juice/Smoothie Bars
- Independent Juice/Smoothie Bars
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- Chained Specialist Coffee and Tea Shops
- Independent Specialist Coffee and Tea Shops
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- Chained Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Asian Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent Asian Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained European Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent European Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Latin American Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent Latin American Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Middle Eastern Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent Middle Eastern Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained North American Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent North American Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Pizza Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent Pizza Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Other Full-Service Restaurants
- Independent Other Full-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Asian Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Asian Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Bakery Products Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Bakery Products Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Burger Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Burger Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Chicken Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Chicken Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Convenience Stores Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Convenience Stores Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Fish Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Fish Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Ice Cream Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Ice Cream Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Latin American Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Latin American Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Middle Eastern Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Middle Eastern Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Pizza Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Pizza Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Other Limited-Service Restaurants
- Independent Other Limited-Service Restaurants
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- Chained Self-Service Cafeterias
- Independent Self-Service Cafeterias
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- Chained Street Stalls/Kiosks
- Independent Street Stalls/Kiosks
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- Consumer Foodservice Through Standalone
- Consumer Foodservice Through Leisure
- Consumer Foodservice Through Retail
- Consumer Foodservice Through Lodging
- Consumer Foodservice Through Travel
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- Takeaway Online Ordering
- Takeaway Offline Ordering
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- Delivery Excluding Fees
- Delivery Fees
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- First-Party Delivery Services
- Third-Party Delivery Services
- Delivery Offline Ordering
- Drive-Through
- Eat-In
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- Takeaway Online Ordering
- Delivery Online Ordering
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- Takeaway Offline Ordering
- Delivery Offline Ordering
- Drive-Through
- Eat-in
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Consumer Foodservice
Consumer foodservice is composed of cafés/bars, full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, self-service cafeterias and street stalls/kiosks.
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This report originates from Passport, our Consumer Foodservice research and analysis database.
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