"Pingsheng, could you explain this in more detail?" Zhang Sitong asked.
Chen Pingsheng looked at her, then smiled and said, "It seems you really want Song Jun to create a significant chain brand.
"Well then, let me clarify it a bit more for you, the first step in the birth of any chain brand is not to research its characteristics, but to determine your positioning direction.
"To be frank, if you're still thinking about creating a Hunan cuisine chain brand, the competition is too fierce, and even if you manage to establish one, you won't be able to replicate it without a few billion in funds.
"The capital market is quite conservative about investing in traditional industries , to say conservative is actually an understatement; they're simply not optimistic.
"In my opinion, if you want to develop quickly, you must first choose a dining sector that even the capital market is bullish on.
"My Dream Fund in Guangzhou has invested in several niche brands specializing in mall fast food; you can take a look when you have time." Chapters first released on novel⦿fire.net
Chen Pingsheng's hints were already very clear.
He had outright said that traditional, large-scale dining establishments were very difficult to secure financing for now.
He wouldn't invest himself, and regardless of how much you exaggerate the potential, if the track is no good, where can you really go?
In contrast, quick-service Chinese restaurants with low costs and easy replication are a new track.
Well, not exactly new, but one that still has relatively more opportunities.
It's easier to get investment in this field
At least, he himself is willing to invest.
Conversely, aren't Song Jun's kind of restaurants just like the early-day Fei Yangyang?
Not as cheap as Fei Yangyang, and certainly without the same level of service.
Look at Fei Yangyang's current stock price, it's even lower than its IPO price, despite immense popularity and a good reputation.
But looking at its financial statements reveals pitiful profitability.
Zhang Sitong has the ambition to do chains; focusing on replicable Chinese quick-service food is definitely a better choice than the few stores she's running now.
Much stronger by hundreds of times.
Zhang Sitong felt excited, no wonder after so much research, she still felt that operating these current types of stores was uninteresting.
The track was inherently flawed, and might even be on the verge of elimination.
Doing it as a single store might be okay, but as a chain, it's quite mediocre.
In such a scenario, working hard might lead to very pitiful returns.
It's truly a wake-up call.
What's the use of learning from Haidilao? Now, the entire industry is imitating it.
After all that learning, you realize it's a big pitfall; apart from exhausting the staff, it doesn't adapt well.
Chen Pingsheng truly doesn't see the point.
In contrast, those quick-service brands he invested in are doing really well.
At least they are more profitable than traditional restaurants.
After returning home, Zhang Sitong dragged Song Jun to Guangzhou to learn.
They first visited the Dream Fund.
These past years, the Dream Fund has kept a low profile, investing at least ten billion a year.
Zhang Sitong was deeply shocked after seeing it for herself.
Such a low-profile conventional industry investment fund had already launched dozens of small but fine chain brands in dining, fast-moving consumer goods, retail, department stores, clothing, and more.
These investments all followed the pattern of being light-asset, replicable, small but beautiful.
When Chen Pingsheng said only a few are doing well, that's just him being modest.
In Guangdong alone, at least six or seven Chinese quick-service brands invested by the Dream Fund opened over a hundred stores in just two years.
Not aggregated counts over a hundred stores, but each of the emerging fast-food brands had at least a hundred stores on their own.
It wasn't until now that she discovered there was such a huge investment fund in Guangdong.
Three years had passed, and Dream Fund's scale had already become quite mature in various aspects.
No wonder Chen Pingsheng recommended she come here to learn.
Compared to the traditional Hunan Restaurant they tiredly managed, these small but beautiful Chinese quick-service restaurants were developing rapidly.
Moreover, they were on track for a public listing in the future.
The Dream Fund had long nurtured dozens of these small but fine chain enterprises.
Zhang Sitong dragged Song Jun to stay here for over a week before they returned to Magic City.