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A type of rice noodles boasting authentic style of southwestern China's Guizhou province has become popular among people in the US, thanks to the promotion by a young entrepreneur from the province.
Made of stewed beef, rice noodles, beef broth and vegetables, Huaxi Beef Rice Noodles originate from Huaxi district of Guiyang, capital of Guizhou. The broth is made using a variety of Chinese herbs.
Chen Yuzhu, a native from Qianxi county in Bijie, Guizhou province, recently shared his experience of expanding his beef rice noodle business in the United States and his future plans in an interview with China Daily.
The interview has been summarized below:
Q: When did you start your business in the United States? How many shops do you have?
Chen: I started my business in 2008 after graduating from university. Obsessed with the classic gourmet food from my hometown, I opened my first shop specializing in Guizhou beef rice noodles in 2013 in the Flushing neighborhood of New York City's Queens borough. I have opened 13 shops in total.
Q: How did you promote the rice noodles?
Chen: To promote the rice noodles in the early days, I often went to the nearby subway and yelled near the entrance: "Special noodles from my hometown Guizhou!" Most people couldn't distinguish rice noodles from wheat noodles at first, so I kept explaining until they did.
I also played promotional videos in my store — for example, how to cook beef rice noodles in consomme and sour soup to deepen foreigners' impression of the cuisine. Guizhou beef rice noodles have become a recognized local food brand as a result of my vigorous promotion.
Q: How have you been able to keep the authentic taste of the noodles, or have you changed the recipe some?
Chen: I started sending out ingredients in 2016, covering more than a dozen US states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, so that more compatriots living overseas could enjoy an authentic taste of China. I also managed a Guizhou specialty food factory in the US to supply the original ingredients needed to make beef rice noodles. Most of them are flown in from Guizhou.
Q: Has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your business?
Chen: The coronavirus outbreak has greatly changed our business. Stores were closed, and revenue fell sharply.
However, the business survived through increasing online orders, selling semi-finished products, improving production processes and making the supply chain more efficient to reduce stocking costs. Broth, meat and noodles were packaged separately, making it easy for customers to heat up a bowl of beef rice noodles in just two minutes at home.
Thanks to the strong increase in online business, sales are six or seven times higher than before the pandemic. Some stores can even deliver thousands of bowls of rice noodles a day. I opened more shops in New York, Houston and San Francisco.
Q: What's your next plan?
Chen: I want to promote Guizhou food culture around the world. For now, I'm planning new store openings in Southeast Asia and Europe.
About the interviewee
Chen Yuzhu is a businessman from Qianxi county in Bijie, Guizhou province, and he launched his overseas business in 2008 after graduating from Guizhou Normal University.
Obsessed with the classic gourmet food of his hometown, he opened his first restaurant specializing in Guizhou beef rice noodles in 2013 in the Flushing neighborhood of New York City's Queens borough.
He has been called the "Rice Noodle Prince" in the United States, where he now has 13 restaurants.
Guizhou beef rice noodles have become a recognized local food brand through Chen's vigorous promotion.
He has named his restaurant chain "Mifen Prince".
Reporters: Yang Jun, Wang Jin and Guo Kai
Editors: Shan Juan and Wang Jianfen
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