China's catering firms grow 25.5% in number in 2021

BEIJING -- China's catering industry maintained growth momentum in 2021 despite the pressure from COVID-19, with the number of registered firms up 25.5 percent year-on-year, according to an industry report.

A total of 2.36 million firms were added to the industry, said the report released by the Internet giant Meituan.

The country has seen more restaurant chains in recent years with the chain ratio jumping from 12.8 percent in 2018 to 15 percent in 2020, the report noted.

China's catering industry recovered to near pre-epidemic levels in 2021, as its total revenue soared by 18.6 percent from a year ago to reach 4.69 trillion yuan ($736 billion), official data showed.