How-to China: How 'Rice Noodle Prince' conquers the US

Chen Yuzhu has opened 13 stores in the United States. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

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 [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

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