Because... there are also fewer "Big Stomach King Challenge" that can guide traffic, and the essential braised hooves have faded out of wedding marketing | wedding banquet | Big Stomach King

Those who sit at the wedding banquet and watch videos of the "Big Stomach King" challenge may not realize that both the inside and outside of their mobile phone screens are the "main force" of current food waste - many people believe that the face of the wedding banquet depends on the quality and quantity of the dishes, but overestimate the guests' "digestion" ability; The restaurant has attracted many blind and confident customers with novel marketing methods, and the "King of Stomach Package" is delivered to the mouth but cannot be touched a few times, ultimately turning into wet garbage.

In the face of obstinate bad habits, backward ideas, as well as attractive marketing methods, how can "Clean Your Plate Campaign" overcome difficulties?

Wedding Banquet: Transformation of Braised Hooves and Tofu

On the afternoon of August 2nd, in the rarely available wedding banquet hall, Ye Zhongping, the manager of the Binjiang branch of Dongfang Weiting Wedding Art Center, and the management team checked the recent collection volume of wet garbage: "Since the beginning of this year, the average wet garbage per 15 wedding banquets has decreased to 1 bucket, which has been two to three times this level in previous years, indicating a significant reduction in waste."

"It is common practice for restaurants to remind customers to order according to their needs when they are looking at the menu, but in the wedding banquet industry, there are not many companies that dare to do so, and they are afraid of saying a few more words that will ruin their business." Ye Zhongping admitted that the main difficulty in reducing waste at wedding banquets is to challenge stubborn bad habits and outdated concepts. Everyone knows that the reminder of ordering according to their needs in moderation is kind and meaningful, but many customers will ask after hearing the reminder, "What can be saved at this time? If there are fewer dishes, people will say they are stingy and lose face. How can you compensate?"

Since it's difficult to remind customers, let's change our mindset and tap into our own potential, reducing waste unnoticed.

The change started with the disappearance of braised hooves, whole chicken, and whole duck from the menu. Ye Zhongping said that the most easily leftover dishes at wedding banquets are braised hooves and garlic, followed by stewed whole chicken and duck. In fact, according to the taste of young people nowadays, they do not like this type of meat, and it is often the traditional elderly who insist on the key points. In the end, these dishes become decorations.

How can I please fulfill my brother's affection without losing my sister-in-law's will? Starting from 2019, Dongfang Weiting changed the braised pork trotters to pepper and salt pork trotters, and cut them into multiple pieces for each person before placing them on the plate. This flavor is more easily accepted by guests and also easier to drink.

The reporter noticed that the concentration of meat in the three types of wedding banquet packages of Dongfang Weiting has been significantly reduced. Spicy and salt hooves only appear in one package, while hooves in other packages are replaced by more exquisite seafood dishes.

The whole chicken and duck, which rank second in waste, also follow the footsteps of others. They are cooked using methods such as salt and pepper, salt baking, and barbecue that are more in line with the taste of young people, and then cut into multiple pieces for each serving. Based on the feedback from the receptionist who cleaned up the leftovers from the wedding banquet, the transformation of these dishes has been very successful.

Market supervision department staff guide wedding banquet operators to adjust menus

"Recently, we have been considering a new table and applying to the headquarters for the possibility of customizing catering for the new table." Ye Zhongping told reporters that the most wasted table in the entire wedding banquet was the one where the new couple and the best man and bridesmaids sat. They spent most of their time on the table and toasted, too busy to move their chopsticks. In addition, the number of people often cannot reach one table. If the dishes were served according to the same specifications as other tables, it would inevitably be a waste.

Wu Haiqin from the Food Business Department of the Market Supervision Bureau of Pudong New Area stated that wedding banquets are a high-risk area for food waste cases. Considering the difficulties faced by operators, law enforcement officers have always prioritized improving the business service environment to help wedding banquet operators tap into the potential to reduce waste. "We have found that compared to dishes, the ceremonial cake cut by newlyweds and the champagne tower poured with wine at wedding banquets are easier to simplify, and this simplification is more easily accepted by both guests and hosts."

At present, multiple wedding clubs in Pudong New Area are equipped with simplified versions of cakes and champagne towers.

The wedding banquet club only provides a one layer cake turntable. If customers want cakes larger than 6 inches, the operator suggests that customers bring and adjust the placement of the cakes themselves. Many customers choose simpler cakes to avoid waste

Noodle restaurant: launching "green marketing"

Currently, the internet is filled with a large number of so-called "Big Stomach King Challenge", "Abnormal Spicy Challenge", and a group of operators and "internet celebrities" who use it to gain traffic. Behind the hustle and bustle is often a large amount of food wasted because it cannot be eaten.

Since the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation launched the special action to stop food waste, a total of 75201 catering service operators have been inspected, more than 400 cases have been filed and investigated, and 81 typical cases have been announced. The illegal behaviors of food waste cases that have been exposed and investigated mainly focus on misleading and inducing excessive ordering, and not actively reminding and reminding moderate ordering.

Since 2020, Haochen Catering Store in Jing'an District, Shanghai has held the "Bullfrog Noodle Challenge" and released the concept video of "Big Stomach King" through online platforms, inviting netizens to participate in the challenge. The activity rules limit one person to finish "Big Bullfrog Noodles" within 20 minutes. If the challenge is successful, there will be no charge. If the challenge is unsuccessful, payment will be made at the original price.

After investigation, the total weight of "Big Bullfrog Noodles" is about 1750 grams, far exceeding the recommended intake in the Chinese Dietary Guidelines for Residents. As of the incident, over 240 people have participated in the challenge, and about 90% of challengers have failed the challenge.

For failed consumers, the parties involved only provide packaging services to those who request packaging, and the remaining noodles and other food are treated as kitchen waste, and the parties involved have not posted or placed anti food waste labels in the store. The Market Supervision Bureau of Jing'an District shall order the parties involved to correct their illegal behavior in accordance with the law and issue a warning to them.

On August 2nd, the reporter followed the fourth squadron of the enforcement team of the Jing'an District Market Supervision Bureau to visit Youda Noodle Shop and found that the "Bullfrog Noodle Challenge" had been cancelled. Currently, there is only one marketing activity called "Appearance Action" in the shop. Consumers posted beautiful photos of eating noodles on their social media and received likes, and can receive customized canvas bags, mobile phone pendants, or vouchers as needed.

At the same time, the menu publicized by the noodle shop added a single serving of bullfrog mixed noodles/rice, and posted posters containing the contents of "Clean Your Plate Campaign", "practicing economy and opposing waste" in a prominent position in the shop.

"In fact, the 'Bullfrog Noodle Challenge' was not promoted long before the epidemic, but due to the good marketing effect before, many 'internet celebrities' and old customers proposed to resume the challenge after the epidemic. During that period, the store's business was not good, and with a heart movement, it quietly recovered." The store manager, Li Xiang, admitted that at that time, he had already found that this marketing activity was a waste of food, but the temptation of increasing customer flow by 30% to 50% after playing on online platforms was too great. ".

Sun Zhongquan, the captain of the Fourth Squadron of the Law Enforcement Brigade of the Jing'an District Market Supervision Bureau, said that during the investigation and enforcement process, he could truly feel the difficulties faced by operators. While investigating and punishing them in accordance with the law, law enforcement personnel conducted several "brainstorming" sessions to guide operators to carry out legal and compliant publicity and marketing activities.

"In Japan, there is a type of flowing noodles, and merchants have also launched the 'Big Stomach King' challenge. After eating a certain amount, customers can enjoy free meals, but only use a small bowl to serve the noodles each time, effectively avoiding the problem of serving too much at once and the challenger not being able to finish and wasting. Sun Zhongquan said that operators can fully launch the green and healthy 'Big Stomach King' challenge, as long as they comply with laws and regulations, do not mislead or induce consumers to order excessively, and actively remind them to order in moderation.".

Avoiding waste is not difficult at times, just changing the dining utensils can do it