Is fine dining dead? China’s Gen Z eaters think so – it’s all about ‘casual upscale’ sharing plates and Instagramable food now
Wealthy Chinese diners are no longer sold on foie gras, truffles and celebrity chefs – social vibes and Instagramable food are the new ‘casual upscale’ vogue for millennials and Gen Z
The massive wealth increase among Chinese consumers and big number stats are often in the news – just Google “Double 11 shopping festival 2019” and stand back as the headlines flow. Strategy heads and innovation senior vice presidents over in Paris and London could be forgiven for thinking that the streets of second-tier Chinese cities are paved with gold, all the way to the Bund restaurants that they’ve tried and loved on their immersive quarterly work trips.
Yet in the world of F&B, staking an entire business model on the idea that “because they have wealth, then they want fine dining”, is no longer a safe bet. The traditional idea of fine dining in China circa 2001-2010 relied on a concept that Chinese customers would be impressed with classicism and a hoity-toity affair based on artfully sniffing wine corks and having serviettes finessed onto their laps.
Since this idea was conceived, the wealthy Chinese demographic has travelled the world and experienced any form of luxury that it so desires. More importantly, an entirely new wealthy demographic has come of age with entirely new tastes. Their preferences are not based on 1990s western ideas of a luxury dining experience and they can’t be sold on foie gras, truffles and caviar. Emphasising “high quality” alone is no longer a unique selling point in first-tier Chinese cities. Instead, success lies in an experience that’s welcoming, affordable and with a community feel.
Younger Chinese diners want everything to be social … They don’t care about who’s making the food so much as care about their own experience. They want to be the star
The story of casual upscale
We like to think about the moment when a Spanish chef first arrived in China, perhaps at Pudong airport, staring at everything that was new, and different, and strange. Did chef Willy know that his concept of dining would have such an impact on the rest of the city? The restaurant El Willy is a story of el winning, as the global appeal of “fun” proved that “localisation” is not the only path to success.
A decade ago, the timing was ideal for El Willy to bring a lighter, brighter and sexier form of dining that was still high-quality, but did away with tablecloths and prix fixe. Others were on the same page, with the likes of Mercato, Commune Social, Goga and so on delivering quality – but at a more affordable price and with a different tack. Casual upscale in China was born, and has been growing healthily ever since.
The experience, content and community