Young Chinese who are sick, tired of takeaway food turn to community canteens

Young people in China who are sick and tired of takeaway food and usually don't have time to cook are turning their attention to community canteens originally built for elderly residents.

Not long ago, the hashtag "female Master's in Communication resigned to open a community canteen" became a hot topic on Sina Weibo. As a result, the community canteen attracted a large number of young people to take photos or eat.

"I never expected that my canteen could attract so much attention," said He Hua, owner of the canteen in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

In first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai, some community canteens are all over social media.

In He's view, the popularity of community canteens among young people reflects changes in the younger generation's concept of consumption and diet, and even career.

This April, He, who has a master's degree from the Communication University of China (CUC), decided to open a community canteen, which was originally designed to solve the problem elderly people and disadvantaged groups had encountered in looking for a place to eat.

"It's inconvenient for my parents in their old age to cook. Many families encountered similar problems," she said.

He's canteen is near an industrial park that is home to over 20 high-tech companies and about 50 game and animation companies. Before she ran the canteen, she worked in the industrial park. Back then, she ordered takeaway food, which is often characterized by high salt and oil content, online for lunch every day due to her busy work. This made her worry about her health, which was echoed by many of her colleagues.

This combo photo shows He Hua (upper right) and Jin Xianglu (lower right), each of whom started a community canteen. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

She was deeply impressed by the healthy, diversified and affordable food provided by a community canteen when she was a postgraduate student at CUC. Given all this, He and her colleagues opened the community canteen.

At He's canteen, a set meal consisting of four dishes and a soup is priced at 10 yuan ($1.39) for elderly citizens and 15 yuan for other age groups. Because of its cost-effective food, the canteen can sell about 150 set meals each day.

Jin Xianglu, born in the 1990s, in Handan city, north China's Hebei Province, began to run a community canteen after resigning, which attracted many young people. Now, Jin's canteen has four branches in the city.

Jin aims to make her canteen cater to people of different age groups. She invites a dietician to roll out set meals for people who want to cut their sugar intake, or lose weight.

A community canteen in Beijing’s Chaoyang district attracts nearby residents, delivery persons, and college students for its fresh ingredients and diverse dishes at competitive prices.

Wang Nan, a man who works near the canteen, said he chooses the canteen mainly because he can have peace of mind about the food he eats there.

"Young people may get sick and tired of takeaway food and feel anxious about their health. They may also pay more attention to cost-effectiveness. So, they consider community canteens as a better choice for them to eat," He said, explaining why community canteens are popular among young people.

Unlike traditional community canteens, some new ones create a good atmosphere, winning the hearts of a considerable number of young people.

Jin's community canteen, for instance, designates an area with phone holders for people who prefer to eat alone, where they can charge their phones or tablets. The canteen also organizes special activities on holidays and festivals for diners.