What?! Jianbing vendors in Beijing can make over $180K a year？

You’ve probably heard about Jianbing, one of China’s most popular street breakfasts. The savory crisp-fried crêpes are all about bold but delicious contrasts of flavor and texture.

But we are not talking about how it’s cooked or how it tastes today. We are interested in how much some of the Jianbing vendors in megacities like Beijing can make to earn a living.

The savory crisp-fried crêpes are all about bold but delicious contrasts of flavor and texture.

Recently, one Jianbing vendor in Beijing’s central business district was heard arguing with a customer over an egg saying: “I get to earn over 30,000 yuan a month. No way that I used one less egg for your Jianbing.”

That triggered an internet jealousy frenzy, especially among many who have white-collar jobs and work in office. 30,000 yuan a month is about $4,580, which is $55,000 a year. According to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and the Social Affairs and Bureau of Statistics, the average monthly salary of employees working in Beijing in 2016 is about 7,700 yuan, about $14,000 a year.

Jia Xiuying opened three Jianbing stands in Beijing. Her Jianbings are priced from eight yuan a piece to 21 yuan a piece, depending on the size and flavor. She is now making roughly over 100,000 yuan a month. That’s over $183,000 a year. Wow!

Jia Xiuying opened three Jianbing stands in Beijing and is now making roughly over 100,000 yuan a month.

She started her Jianbing career in 2001. She said, back then her economic condition was very poor. She could only afford to invest in Jianbing, which requires little investment.

"I’ve been making Jianbing to provide for my daughter. I used the earnings to pay for her college tuition, graduate studies, and even for her trip to America," Jia said, "although I’m making a lot of money now, the kind of hardships I’ve gone through would have been unbearable for most white-collar workers."

She often tells her daughter: “If you don’t study hard, you can always be like your mom and make Jianbing for a living.” “No way. It’s too hard,” her daughter replied."Then study hard," she said, "I’m not well educated. I didn’t want my daughter to be uneducated too."

Jiang Jilan, Jia Xiuying’s business partner said they as two women also make Jianbing for their pride because they want to do something bigger than themselves.