Consumer appetites whetted by catering chains

China's domestic catering market — which topped 5.5 trillion yuan ($774.6 billion) last year — saw more chain brands making their mark, as the franchise model has proven to be more resilient.

On Monday, the China Chain Store & Franchise Association and delivery platform Meituan officially released the 2025 China Catering Chain White Paper.

The report found that in 2024, China's catering market size exceeded 5.5 trillion yuan, with the chain rate further increasing to 23 percent, from 19 percent in 2021.