Community canteens and people's livelihood articles

Reporters surveyed in many places and found that affordable prices are an important feature of community canteens
.
According to Shangguan Xiayu, the person in charge of the "Weitangshi" community cafeteria, this is determined by the nature of the community cafeteria itself
.

What is a community canteen? "Compared with social catering, community canteens have completely different service scenarios and operating logic, and the main focus is cost-effectiveness
.
" Shangguan Xiayu listed three characteristics of community canteens: from the point of view of location, they are located in or around the community, and the rental cost It is much lower than most restaurants located in commercial districts; from the perspective of customer base, it is facing a relatively fixed customer group of community residents, and it is a "returning customer" business; from the perspective of positioning, the taste is more homely, and the environment and service are more focused Definitely
.

Also called "canteens", community canteens are also different from canteens of government agencies, enterprises and institutions
.
Community canteens are open to the outside world.
Although there are regular customer groups, they are not limited to this customer group
.
Some community canteens have a service radius covering several surrounding communities, and some are well-run and even become well-known "net celebrity" canteens
.
"Compared with unit canteens, we face more intense competition.
There are also operators such as'mom-and-pop shops' and small restaurants in the community
.
" Shangguan Xia Yu said
.

Also to replace daily cooking needs, community canteens have more social functions than takeaways
.
“Nearby neighbors, community acquaintances, company colleagues, three or five friends gathered in the canteen to have a meal and chat, and you can find the feeling of neighbors gathering in the compound to eat together in the past
.
” The retired Professor Wang is a frequent visitor to Weitang Food.
There will be old friends here and some new friends
.

Cost-effective, open to the outside world, and social functions in the community.
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Various advantages allow community canteens to meet the dining needs of a considerable number of residents, occupy a place in a variety of dining styles, and take root in more and more communities
.

"Unexpectedly, according to a questionnaire survey of more than 2,000 community residents, the establishment of community canteens and the resolution of food problems ranked third among dozens of needs
.
" said Chen Bo, secretary of the Party Committee of Jinsongbei Community
.

According to Chen Bo, 40% of residents in Jinsongbei Community are elderly people over 60 years old.
Some have to help their children take care of their children.
They don’t have extra time and energy to cook.
Some elderly people living alone have advanced age and cooking by themselves is not only troublesome, but also unsafe.
; Another 37% of the community residents are young people, usually under pressure at work and fast-paced life, often do not have time to enter the kitchen.
.
.
"To meet the needs of affordable and convenient daily meals, community cafeterias are indeed a good choice
.
" Chen Bo said
.

"After the community canteen is built, the elderly people prefer to go downstairs
.
" "Dinner is basically solved in the community canteen, which reduces the cost of living
.
" "The community canteen solves the time-consuming and laborious problem of cooking.
The time for our family of three to communicate has changed.
That's too much
.
" Many residents reported that the small community canteen has stimulated the vitality of the entire community
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According to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, various regions plan to renovate 39,000 old communities in cities and towns this year, of which the construction of community canteens has become a "must option" in many community reconstruction lists
.

According to expert analysis, the current community canteens in various regions can be roughly divided into four categories according to the different operating entities: one is that the local government departments are unified for the construction of communities in need, which is conducive to the concentration of resources and rapid progress; the other is that they are built and operated by the communities themselves, and the advantages are It can more accurately meet the individual needs of residents; the third is the spontaneous construction of the residents; the fourth is the direct planning and operation of market entities such as developers, with a higher level of planning and better cost control
.

Rely on multi-party support

Many places explored granting operating subsidies to community canteens, reducing rents, and providing free public space

Hot and sour potato shreds 4 yuan, green pepper fried meat 7 yuan, Hanamaki 0.
5 yuan.
.
.
Walk into the convenient dining hall of Shangliu Jiayuan Community, Licang District, Qingdao City, Shandong, and see the menu price list hanging on the wall, such as stir-fry, pasta, soup Congee is readily available at affordable prices, and discounts are also available for senior citizens
.
"The original intention of building this canteen was to solve the problem of eating for the elderly, not for profit
.
" said Kang Baolan, the chief of the community
.

Ten years ago, Shangliu Jiayuan Community was still an urban village
.
In 2011, after the renovation of the old village was completed, the village became a community, the environment was better, the space was larger, and the community's collective economy gradually developed and expanded
.
However, some livelihood issues have also followed
.

“There are more than 1,200 residents in the community, of which there are more than 360 people over 60 years old.
More and more young people have less time to take care of their families after work
.
The problem of eating for the elderly has become prominent .
” Kang Baolan said, in order to better take care of them .
To reduce the worries of the elderly and young people, the community decided to build a canteen
.
In November 2016, a canteen of more than 400 square meters was completed in the community, which can accommodate 150 people for dining at the same time
.
"The price is real, and a meal can be eaten well for less than 10 yuan!" The 80-year-old Li Yizhou just had lunch in the cafeteria.
The plate was filled with fried tofu skin, braised chicken neck, bean curd mixed scallops and two.
The fire burned
.
Here, the monthly food cost of the elderly over 60 is 300 yuan, of which 210 yuan is paid by the community, and the individual only needs to pay 90 yuan, which is equivalent to a 30% discount
.

With such high quality and low price, will the canteen operation lose money? "The construction of community canteens is a livelihood project.
As the collective economy of the community develops, it is natural to improve people's livelihood and benefit every resident
.
" According to Kang Baolan, the collective economic income of the Shangliu Jiayuan community exceeded 78 million yuan last year, which was spent on livelihood expenditures of community residents.
There are more than 55 million yuan, including subsidies for community canteens
.

In fact, many community canteens are difficult to break even on their own operations in the early stages of growth
.
Achieving good quality at low prices requires the support of government departments, communities and social forces
.

- government moves, preferential policies to support
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Lunch is 12 yuan, dinner is 8 yuan, and there is another discount for the elderly
.
The Lihe Community Canteen, Shuangta Street, Gusu District, Suzhou, built in June last year, is operated by the Socialized Elderly Care Service Center-Jujiale Elderly Care Service Center.
The price of vegetables is very favorable
.
According to reports, last year Lihe Community received more than 100,000 yuan in subsidies from the street, which brought great support to the operation of the canteen
.

Subsidies are not given randomly, but based on the assessment results
.
Shuangta Sub-district will evaluate the operation of the institution based on residents' satisfaction every year, and grant subsidies as appropriate
.
Luo Lin, deputy director of the Senior Care Division of the Suzhou Civil Affairs Bureau, told reporters that the current Suzhou Civil Affairs Department’s support policies for community canteens can be roughly divided into three categories: First, subsidies for the construction of canteens, depending on the scale, subsidies ranging from 40,000 to 80,000 yuan per year.
And so on; the second is operating subsidies, such as a subsidy of 500 yuan a year for serving an elderly person; the third is insurance subsidies, such as purchasing home care liability insurance for the canteen
.

In addition to "giving money", you can also "give places"
.
The reporter found in the investigation that in addition to the introduction of financial support policies such as community canteen operation subsidies, canteen service staff rewards, and rent reduction or exemption, some places also provide community public space to operating companies for free to reduce their funding burden
.

——Assemble social forces and contribute to public welfare donations
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In January of this year, Longquanhu New Village, Hetoudian Town, Laixi City, Shandong Province, the big canteen for helpers officially opened soon, and nearly 200 people dine every day
.
The canteen is funded and constructed by the government department, and the daily operation is in charge of a non-profit organization
.

"We have long been engaged in charity work to help the elderly and other groups.
There are more than 1,000 volunteers.
After the canteen is built, the government departments immediately thought of us to undertake it
.
" Xiaoyudi Society of Laixi City, responsible for operating the canteen for the boss Introduced by Dong Jinhui, the person in charge of the work service center
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In the canteen for the boss, the five-guarantees and low-income households can enjoy a lunch of six dishes and one soup for only 2 yuan per person, and 5 yuan per person per meal for seniors over 60 years old
.
However, the cost of each meal is about 10 yuan, how can the canteen develop sustainably?

"In the early days of its establishment, the canteen lost about 10,000 yuan per month
.
" Dong Jinhui told reporters.
Later, the canteen received support from all parties.
"Enterprises and community residents have donated money and materials, all of which are included in the special fund for canteen operation, and it is quickly realized.
Balance of income and expenditure
.
” In addition, Xiao Yudi also leveraged on the advantages of non-profit organizations to initiate online special group care projects by professional social workers, and plans to raise 200,000 yuan for the operation of the canteen
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Marketization is the trend

Through increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and professional operation, community canteens can achieve "mean profit and sustainable"

"Relying solely on external'blood transfusion' is not a long-term solution.
Self-made'hematopoiesis' can develop for a long time
.
" This is almost the consensus of community cafeteria operators
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Respondents have said that although community canteens are small in scale, the doorway of operation is not small.
The key to sustainable development is the introduction of more professional and efficient market-oriented operation forces
.

"You see, the shape of this pumpkin isn't pretty, but it's very fresh, and doesn't hinder the quality and taste
.
" Early in the morning, Shangguan Xia Yu plunged into the vegetable market to purchase ingredients, picking and choosing, while telling reporters, "good-looking ingredients It’s more expensive, but it’s not necessary for community canteens.
We are reducing costs in such careful calculations
.
"

The dishes do not need to be overly sophisticated, fresh and safe; the decoration does not need to be luxurious, simple and warm; the service does not need to be cumbersome, but friendly and comfortable.
.
.
The community canteen has its own saving "book"
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At the same time as "throttling", "open source" is also required
.
Shangguan Xia Yu introduced the experience of "Weitang Food" to increase revenue-starting from the two directions of scale and refinement
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Expand passenger flow and exert scale effect
.
One is to extend the supply period to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper
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The second is to extend the scope of the customer base
.
"There is an industrial park near the community.
We will cooperate with some companies in the park to customize group meals and deliver meals to your door
.
" Shangguan Xiayu said that after the increase in passenger flow, the cost of procurement, operation, management and other links can be effectively reduced
.

Subdivide needs and enhance customer stickiness
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Subdivided tastes-"Weitang Food"'s customers are mainly local residents and migrants from Hunan, Sichuan and other places.
Therefore, Cantonese cuisine, Hunan cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine are the main dishes
.
Recommendations on demand-"Recommend vegetarian dishes to customers who have taken meat dishes, recommend steamed eggs to children, recommend stews to girls, and deepen the understanding of the customer group in this interaction
.
" Shangguan Xia Yu did a test, but only For small bowls of dishes, the small details of "recommendation" are well done, and sales in a week have risen from 300 yuan to 5,000 yuan
.

The small ledgers of "income and reduce expenditure" are very effective.
The two newly opened "Weitangshi" community canteens in Shenzhen at the end of last year have now achieved more than one thousand daily orders, and they have been profitable since the third quarter of this year
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It is profitable to calculate the detailed accounts, and the balance of funds can also be achieved by calculating the general ledger
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Zheng Minyan, an employee of Beijing Vision Group who is in charge of the Beijing Jinsongbei Community Renovation Project, introduced that the construction of a canteen is one of the projects in the community renovation project.
The income sources of operating projects include the rent of idle space in the community, property fees, parking fees, etc.
, "Calculating the general ledger, the company can recover most of the cost of renovation and management in about 10 years
.
" Zheng Minyan believes that operating a community canteen is the same as implementing an old community renovation , Is a long-winded account, "Although you can't make quick money and big money, there is the possibility of'small profit sustainable'
.
"

Many cases in the survey show that while maintaining high quality and low prices, community canteens can establish their own business logic and achieve profitability
.
"Introducing third-party catering companies or property companies to operate community canteens can more effectively control costs and improve efficiency
.
" said Cai Zhibing, associate professor of the Economics Teaching and Research Department of the Central Party School (National School of Administration)
.

Great potential in the future

Not only need government support, but also a more scientific and efficient operation through market-oriented methods

Can the market-oriented development of community canteens go well? Many companies believe that community canteens have a long profit cycle and relatively limited profits, but long-term operations are still attractive
.

On the one hand, as one of the important public services, community canteens have a large market size and have room for continuous operation
.

"The urban development model has shifted from rapid expansion to more organic renewal and fine management.
Urban management needs to be embroidered, and the community canteen is a meticulous
" stitch ".
" Tao Hongbing, chairman of Beijing Vision Group, believes that "mean profit is sustainable.
", earning money steadily is also an important business model
.

On the other hand, community canteens can act as the entrance to community traffic, thereby leveraging a larger community service market
.

Liu Junqiu, the person in charge of Suzhou Jujiale Senior Care Service Center, said: "Community cafeterias have brought in passenger flow and let us better understand the needs of residents.
In the future, we plan to introduce services such as physiotherapy, health, nursing, and housekeeping
.
"

"The community is a'gold mine', and the canteen is the'entrance'
.
By accurately'portraising' the community residents, the canteen service scene can be extended to more scenes such as social interactions and elderly care
.
" Shangguan Xia Yu said, "Weitang Food" is a business operation The Weitang community provides a window to understand the needs of residents up close.
“According to our visit, the average age of the young people living in Weitang community is 25 years old, with high academic qualifications and professional abilities, a strong desire for professional development, and a general pursuit of high-quality Community public venues, larger social circles, this is the direction of our future business efforts
.
"

The sense of smell of market entities is often sharp
.
In Cai Zhibing’s opinion, community canteens have not yet formed a sufficient scale, and there is still great potential for future development.
“At present, there are approximately 254 million people aged 60 and over in China, accounting for 18.
1% of the total population.
At the same time, the average one-way commute in some large cities The time is more than 40 minutes, and some cities even exceed 1 hour
.
" He believes that community canteens benefit more people, "Government departments should work hard to increase the supply of such public products
.
"

How to tap potential and increase supply? During the investigation, many experts and companies suggested that community cafeterias carry major articles on people's livelihood, and that all efforts should be made to help them achieve stability and long-term development
.

On the one hand, government departments must increase their support
.
Cai Zhibing believes that government departments can start to strengthen support from two aspects: one is to strengthen policy support and provide strong support in the supply of operating venues, rent reduction and exemption; the second is to strengthen top-level design and plan the layout of community canteens and related industries according to urban development.
The chain, “such as integrating the selection and cultivation of raw materials, purchase and transportation, processing and sales, etc.
, can not only maintain quality and quantity, but also effectively reduce the production and operation costs of community canteens
.
”

On the other hand, the community canteens themselves must adhere to market-oriented operations
.
According to expert analysis, although the technical threshold of the catering industry is not high, it has its own rules of operation and management.
Market-oriented operation and professional operation are conducive to improving the operational efficiency and service level of community canteens
.
Zheng Minyan observed that whether it is government-led, community-led, or spontaneously built community canteens, most of the community canteens that have been successfully operated often have in-depth cooperation with third-party branded catering companies
.

"The development of community canteens requires government support and more scientific and efficient operation through a market-oriented approach.
Only in this way can the operation of community canteens be guaranteed to be both quality and efficient, and to achieve long-term operation
.
" Cai Zhibing believes
.

Of course, the construction of community canteens must also be steadily promoted in accordance with local conditions
.
The reporter learned from the survey that some corporate-operated community canteens are difficult to support due to the small number of customers and low income after opening for a few years
.

Cai Zhibing suggested that when building community canteens, whether government departments or enterprises, they should grasp the pace, intensity and method of investment and construction, and make a scientific and comprehensive assessment of the costs and benefits of canteen operation.
Only in this way can the community canteen, a good thing for people’s livelihood, be done well
.
"

　　"People's Daily" (19th edition on December 16, 2020)