Hezhong Catering Consulting Founder Yao Zhe: To break through in fast food and snacks, these four points must be achieved

How is the trend of dimension reduction in the food and beverage industry reshaping consumer experience?

On March 24, the 2026 China Food and Beverage Industry Festival and the 35th HCC Global Food and Beverage Industry Expo, co-hosted by the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry and Hongcan Network, kicked off at the Hangzhou International Exhibition Center. At the “2026 China Snack and Fast Food Development Forum,” Yao Zhe, founder of Hezhonghe Catering Consulting, stated that in recent years, there have been three significant “dimension reduction” changes in the food and beverage industry.

Firstly, high-end ingredients are undergoing dimension reduction. Yao Zhe cited an example of a steak rice brand incubated by Wang Fanxing, selling a bowl for over 50 yuan. Capturing a new product dividend can leverage the entire brand’s value leap. Secondly, good categories are also experiencing dimension reduction. The fast-foodization of Western cuisine, hot pot, barbecue, and local dishes are all manifestations of good categories being fast-foodized; for instance, Country Base is the fast-food version of Sichuan cuisine. However, Yao Zhe candidly remarked, “Not all local dishes are suitable for fast-foodization; for example, Beijing cuisine doesn’t pair well with rice, so it can’t be done.” He believes that local dishes with rice-pairing characteristics are more suitable for fast-foodization. The third is scene dimension reduction. When the per capita cost is around 40 to 50 yuan, but the experience can feel like 100 yuan, consumers are more willing to queue.

△ Yao Zhe, founder of Hezhonghe Catering Consulting

How should food and beverage brands break through to achieve value growth from internal competition? Yao Zhe also provided the following suggestions:

First, value visualization, which includes freshness strategy, aesthetic delivery, and cultural empowerment.

The so-called freshness strategy can be summarized in one sentence: long preservation is not as good as short preservation, short preservation is not as good as freshness, freshness is not as good as freshly made, and freshly made is not as good as made in front of you.

As consumer aesthetics change, aesthetic delivery must also change; only then will consumers be willing to spend. For example, while catering professionals used to create fake open kitchens, today they are starting to make real open kitchens.

Second, scene small formal dining. Against the backdrop of fast food upgrading and formal dining dimension reduction, the boundaries between fast food and formal dining are becoming increasingly blurred. Yao Zhe reminded that one should not fantasize that fast food can steal formal dining business, as the sense of value is completely different at different times, and product structure may not meet the demand in different time slots.

Third, product customization. Regional customization, one district one strategy. For example, Country Base makes buns in Beijing, vegetarian dishes in Shanghai, and casserole dishes in Wuhan. In the north, staple foods are various types of pastries, while in the south, staple foods are mainly rice. Regardless of whether it’s formal or fast food, diversifying staple foods is an inevitable path.

Fourth, expansion series. The essence of the expansion strategy is to match customer scene needs.

Yao Zhe concluded that brands aiming for large-scale chain operations should pursue excellence within affordability, while personalized dining should focus on continuous iteration of experience and products.

Author: Hongcan Editorial Department