Restaurants' growth accelerates as mass-market outlets thrive

The catering industry's fortunes took a turn for the better last year, driven by strong demand for restaurants targeting mass consumers, according to an industry survey.

The China Cuisine Association said that consumption using non-public funds accounted for 90 percent of the total catering spending last year.

Industry revenue stood at 2.786 trillion yuan ($449.3 billion), up 9.7 percent, the CCA said in its report released on Monday. The growth rate was an improvement from 9 percent in 2013.