Wuhan has those disappeared old business?

When it comes to Wuhan's old food and beverage companies, Wuhaners will know them by heart: Cailinji, Lao Tongcheng, Four Seasons Beauty, Xiaotaoyuan and so on.

Before 1993, these old restaurants had been occupying half of Wuhan's catering sales, but by the mid-1990s, with the entry of foreign fast food and the rise of new local catering enterprises, the old in the fierce competition is losing ground. At present, the whole city of Wuhan's annual output value of the old, but not as much as a medium-sized hotel.

The old is not just an industry, it is part of the city's precious culture. If the old firms disappear, many historical memories will follow. Wuhan old is how step by step towards the decline? How to get rid of the dilemma of business? These once brilliant "golden phoenix" in the tide of the market economy, when will be reborn?

With a 77-year history of Wuhan's old Tongcheng restaurant, recently quietly closed its doors. The old Wuhan restaurant, famous overseas for its Hubei snacks --- bean skins --- was the pride of Wuhan people as it hosted Chairman Mao twice in its most glorious period.

And now, this old restaurant with the "King of Bean Skin" brand name, but in a state of distress after many years of poor business, helplessly posted a "suspension of business" notice. The first floor of the restaurant has long been turned into a cell phone market, the second floor of the restaurant channel "Iron General" gate.

"Bean skin king" flourished and declined

Lao Tongcheng, formerly known as "Tongcheng" restaurant, was founded in 1929, with its signature food bean skins famous all over the world. Originally a rural food from Hubei province, it was stuffed with glutinous rice and scallions, and was very popular with diners.In 1955, Old Tongcheng was renamed "State-run Old Tongcheng Restaurant", and was the first state-run restaurant in Wuhan.

Because of its association with many Chinese and foreign leaders, Laotongcheng once became the pride of Wuhan people.

In April and September 1958, Chairman Mao came to Lao Tongcheng Huiji Branch twice, leaving behind the teaching of "State-run should better serve the people", which became the most glorious chapter in the history of Lao Tongcheng Restaurant. In fact, Chairman Mao is not the only Party and state leader who has eaten at the restaurant; at the beginning of 1958, Premier Zhou accompanied foreign guests to taste the bean skin at the main store of Lao Tongcheng. During the Sixth Plenary Session of the Eighth CPC Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping, Li Xiannian, Li Fuchun and Cai Chang, all tasted the three fresh bean skins and chicken soup in Old Tongcheng General Store, and praised the service of the restaurant. Old Tongcheng also got the reputation of "King of Bean Skin".

1987 to 1989 is recognized as the heyday of the old city, sales ranked first in the city in the same industry. 1992, the old city to Shenzhen to open a branch, one or two years after the recovery of one or two million yuan investment. Subsequently, the old Tongcheng branch rapid expansion, the domestic successively in Jiangxi Nanchang, Shenzhen, the province of Tianmen, Ezhou, the city of Dijiao and other places to open branches. At that time, the old Tongcheng also ready to open stores in Thailand.

In order to make the old Tongcheng famous at home and abroad, 77 years several generations of old Tongcheng people have paid wisdom, blood, sweat and even life. In the 1990s, the old Tongcheng on the development of the fast track to the head of Zhang Bin, is due to overworked, suffering from a sudden heart attack died.

However, in the process of transitioning to a market economy, the old Tongcheng did not ride the wave of success, continue to write brilliantly, but uncontrollably embarked on the road of prosperity and decline.

After the completion of the renovation of the old Tongcheng in 1988, it was the largest restaurant in Wuhan at that time, forming a monopoly in foreign hospitality, etc., but such a situation did not last long.

From the mid-1990s, some private catering enterprises gradually became a climate, often high-paid to poach employees of state-run stores. For the old Tongcheng such a signature enterprise, is the focus of the poaching. At that time, there were rumors in the community, the old city is the catering industry, "Harvard", many private enterprises have set their sights on here. Like the "Bean Skin King" direct heir, "Bean Skin King" Zhang Xiangzhao was also dug out, and the inherent shortcomings of the mechanism of the old state-owned enterprises, but also accelerated the loss of these outstanding proprietary talent.

The old Tongcheng's traditional signboard is "three fresh beanskin", as early as 1984, to meet the demand for a large number of take-away, the old Tongcheng had developed vacuum-packed beanskin, but limited to varieties of research and development, neglected to update the equipment, and ultimately led to the abortion. At the same time, due to the blossoming of small street stores, good and bad, the old Tongcheng "three fresh beanskin" formed a strong impact. In other varieties of innovation, the old Tongcheng also little to do.

The iron law of modern catering is "no parking space, it is difficult to have a dining space", the old Tongcheng due to the lack of sufficient parking space, gradually lost the "geographical advantage". Coupled with the private catering enterprises have sprung up since then, consumers have more choices, and competition from the same industry has further divided the market.

Not to be ignored is that the successive failure of several investment projects, emptied the old Tongcheng bottom, but also make the enterprise backed by a huge debt, the formation of the building will fall, the situation of the decadence is difficult to reverse, the tragedy of the decline of a boom and bust is finally unavoidable to repeat.

The old Tongcheng current general manager Dai Yexiang said that in 1998, the old Tongcheng had a capitalization transformation, but reopened after the operation is not ideal. Last year, the cross river tunnel project and expropriation of the land, the business building to be demolished, so after the Spring Festival went out of business.

"No one wants to go out of business, especially in this way." Dai Yexiang said grimly.

Long-established businesses have become an "endangered species"

The decline of "Old Tongcheng" is just a microcosm of Wuhan's long-established businesses.

"If it's an animal, the old firms are definitely considered endangered species." Gong Xinhua, deputy director of the Food Service Management Department of the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Commerce, said. In the past 10 years, Wuhan City, like the old Tongcheng in people's eyes disappeared one after another in the catering old, as well as Fuqinghe, QiWanShun, GuoXiaTai and so on.

At present, Wuhan's only surviving old, still insisting on doing traditional food may be only three or four left, estimated

Total annual output value of 10 million yuan or less, less than the sales of a medium-sized hotel. The state of the old Tongcheng evokes deep concern about the old Wuhan restaurants.

Established in 1930, Wuhan Dahua Restaurant is famous at home and abroad because of Chairman Mao's phrase "drinking water in Changsha and eating Wuchang fish". In the 1980s, Dazhonghua had developed more than 70 kinds of fish dishes and launched the nationally famous whole fish banquet. The hotel's monthly turnover of more than 300,000 yuan, there are more than 20 national special, first-class chef, was the only national second-class catering enterprises in Hubei region, was awarded the title of "Chinese old".

However, as with the old Tongcheng, from the mid-1990s, Dazhonghua Restaurant is in an existential crisis, many times closed down. 2000 August, Wuhan, a private enterprise funded 14 million yuan, will be purchased as a whole. 2002 onwards, the restaurant closed down to lease the facade to make ends meet. Now, Dazhonghua has been converted into a hot pot restaurant.

Wuhan, another old DaXingYuan was famous for fish dishes in China, the 90's is difficult to restore the decline, and the new world after the merger of the studio, and then due to a series of problems can not be resolved, in 8 years ago, closed down. Choi Lam Kee, which has been around for a century, is struggling to stay afloat.

Earlier this year, Wuhan, "old" there are still 12, due to the old Tongcheng shutdown, and now only retains the original flavor of the business is only the Four Seasons Beauty, Wu Fang Zhai, Fu Rong, small peach garden, wild taste incense, talk about the Yanji, etc., to retain the original signboards by renting out the facade of the operation of the Chunming Building, Xinxing Building, Dewar Building, the old will be Bing, and so on.

Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Commerce's preliminary findings show that Wuhan, the situation varies greatly, but most of the situation is not good. Lead to the decline of the old roughly four types of factors: some are due to the inflexible business mechanism of state-owned enterprises, enterprises lack of development momentum; some are old stores due to urban demolition and relocation, faced with relocation; some of the old due to personnel changes, the production process is difficult to maintain the original flavor. In addition, with the improvement of people's living standards, even if the old firms to maintain the original characteristics, but people still

feel that "the new is not as good as the old".

Seeing the decline of these old restaurants that once flourished, the old Wuhan people are full of regret and attachment.

Survival in the hardship

In Wuhan, the old Wuhan almost all to be wiped out in the case of 60 years of history, Wuhan old Wu Fang Zhai has successfully realized its own Phoenix Nirvana, become the only bright spot in the old.

Earlier this year, in the old Tongcheng quietly out of business at the same time, Wuhan Wu Fang Zhai and Zhejiang Jiaxing Wu Fang Zhai Industrial Co. Zhejiang Jiaxing Wu Fang Zhai will invest 65 million yuan holding Wuhan Wu Fang Zhai, specializing in the production of "Wu Fang Zhai" products. Wuhan Wu Fang Zhai restaurant opened a new industrial production line, also recently obtained the provincial technical supervision bureau issued QS certificate, its production of dumplings have been stationed in the province's 260 supermarkets. The enterprise's production capacity has also increased dramatically, from daily output of 1-2 tons jumped to more than 5 tons.

Currently, Wu Fang Zhai has developed into a new type of enterprise with modern management scale integrating catering, food processing, commercial trade and automobile transportation.

Wuhan Wufangzhai head Zhang Yongli said, Wufangzhai is Wuhan old catering enterprises from handmade workshops into industrialized production of the first, "Wufangzhai" restructuring, will be the survival and development of Wuhan old broke out a new way.

Business is booming Wu Fang Zhai, can be said to be the last piece of Wuhan catering old real bright spot. His successful experience also shows that the old catering only fully tap the unique historical and cultural heritage of the old, and actively explore the market, vigorously innovate, and quickly establish a modern enterprise system, they are in the tide of the market economy, "want to be reborn" will be very promising.

Wuhan has more than 70 years of history of the old Delhua

The restaurant's famous snacks Delhua rice cakes, but also at the end of last year, officially hand in hand with the catering industry in Jiangcheng new size and the Yan Yang Tian restaurant, and its signed a special supply agreement. Dewa rice cake into the sunny day, the restaurant will be the basis for the development of honey rice cake, rice cake boiled in golden soup, Wuchang fish roasted rice cake and other related dishes, Dewa rice cake, this old brand snacks have also been able to survive.

However, the Wu Fang Zhai's happy momentum can not hide the overall decline of Wuhan's old-fashioned, its Dewa rice cake is only in the market gap in the difficult struggle for survival.

Confusion of old

Lao Tongcheng's closure, caused the relevant departments of the Wuhan Municipal Government of the concern of the Jiangcheng old.

On March 15, Jiang Hanqiu, deputy director of the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Commerce, said in an interview with reporters that the revitalization of the old is one of the most important tasks of the city's commercial work. At present, the Wuhan Municipal Bureau of Commerce has drawn up a multi-pronged approach to revitalize the catering "old" plan, the newly closed down the old Tongcheng included in the focus of the restoration of the object.

The plan will be "old" screening process: First, the development prospects of the "old" into the revitalization goals. Focus on its regional characteristics, humanistic background, popularity, business conditions, assets and so on. Guiding the "old" still in business to develop chains, support stronger and bigger; focus on restoring the old Tongcheng, Cailinji, etc., which exist in name only. Second, the introduction of social capital. Will take part of the "old" auction, bidding, leasing and other ways.

In terms of policy, in promoting the "old" to establish a sense of competition at the same time, and actively solve their problems; on the acquisition, merger, leasing business "old" enterprises, depending on the specific circumstances of the use of "old" intangible assets, "the old" intangible assets, "the old" intangible assets. Old" intangible assets, dealing with "old" historical baggage, resettlement of personnel, etc., to study specific policy support measures.

At the same time, the "old" revitalization into the city construction and development planning and commercial network development planning, in all types of commercial streets, new construction, development and structural adjustment, priority preferential arrangements for the "old" relocation, stationed.

Wuhan Catering Association, Liu Guoliang, president of the Association believes that more to attract other resources to intervene in the reform of the old. "The new name, private capital can be involved in the cooperation mode, you can inject capital, input management mechanism, etc., to renew the vitality of the old."

Dai Yexiang, general manager of the old Tongcheng, introduced that the newly opened old Tongcheng can no longer be a state-owned enterprise, and must undergo a shareholding system reform. "Regardless of which option is adopted, we plan to build a model store first and then attract social capital to open franchises to expand the influence of Old Tongcheng."

The introduction of government support policies does make people look forward to the revitalization of old firms. However, Wuhan old can really be reborn, the reporter still holds deep concern.

As early as a few years ago, when the nearly 100-year-old Wuhan snack store Cailinji to decline, caused the media attention in Jiangcheng, but also attracted the attention of the government, the relevant departments have held a seminar to explore the revitalization of the restructuring of the old. Cai Lin Kee and some other old brands also took advantage of the situation to restructure, trying to revitalize.

However, the restructuring did not solve the problem. Due to mismanagement and other reasons, Cai Lin Kee not only failed to "revitalize", but also saw its golden brand grayed out again. Other old firms are also still in the stormy closure of the closure of the debt of the debt. The revitalization of Wuhan's old firms seems to be a long way off.

Now the closure of the old city has drawn attention to Wuhan's old shops again. However, after the hot debate, whether the old city can rebuild the glory? The fate of the old Wuhan is to repeat the mistakes of a few years ago, or can be reborn in the market tide of fire?

The old firms have the advantage of heritage, but also the disadvantage of not adapting to the modern market economy. The old to today, facing the restructuring, reform issues can not be solved overnight