This $9B Chinese Restaurant Chain Wants to Conquer the U.S

这家市值90亿美元的中餐厅连锁店想征服美国

China's hot-pot giant Haidilao offers more than just food. It has free manicures and massages for customers. Waiters dance on request. The over-the-top performances and customer service set it apart from its competitors. With fresh funds from a public listing, the restaurant company plans to expand across the U.S.

WSJ examines the Chinese company and explores whether these gimmicks could be enough to sustain America's appetite.

中国火锅巨头海底捞提供的不仅仅是食物，也为顾客提供免费的美甲和按摩服务。服务员应顾客要求跳舞。卓越的客户服务使其在竞争对手中脱颖而出。凭借上市带来的新资金，这家餐饮公司计划在美国各地扩张。

《华尔街日报》对这家中国公司进行了调查，并探讨了这些噱头是否足以吸引美国吃货！

以下是各国网民的评论：

hgos7211

As someone from Hong Kong, I feel they're one of the first restaurant chains to really make 1-2 hour waits feel like a breeze, with all the amenities mentioned as well as unlimited snacks and tea.

The customer service is also top notch once you get inside, even giving you a doll to accompany you if you're alone and yeah the performances are entertaining to watch while you eat. Not just a regular hot pot restaurant. Cool to see them expand internationally!

作为香港，我觉得他们是最早让客户愿意等待1-2小时的连锁餐厅之一，各种便利设施，还有无限供应的小吃和茶。

一旦你进入餐厅，客户服务也是一流的，如果你独自一人，甚至会给你一个洋娃娃陪你，是的，在你吃饭的时候看表演很有趣。不是一家普通的火锅店。很高兴看到他们在国际上扩张！

Ash-vt7uu

Ye but it’s restaurants in HK are so small

是的，但在香港的连锁店太小了

jamesleigh6166

The food is overpriced and doesn’t taste that good

里面的食物价格过高，味道也没那么好吃

boli1435

​ @inlee2617 I've been to Japan. Yes, their services are top notch. And I travel to China on a regular basis. The restaurant businesses in China are facing fierce competition. Restaurants with lousy services will surely fail. From my personal experiences, the services I got from restaurants in China are on par with restaurants in Japan if not better. However, the services from Chinese restaurants in the United States, where I live, are notoriously bad.

我去过日本。是的，他们的服务是一流的。我经常去中国旅行。中国的餐饮业正开展激烈的竞争。服务不好的餐馆会倒闭的。

根据我的个人经验，我在中国餐馆享受到的服务与日本餐馆不相上下，甚至更好。

然而，在我居住的美国，中餐馆的服务是出了名的糟糕。

kenchandrasena2070

I live in California and have been to haidilao here. There aren’t performances and manicures and massages like you have in Asia. We don’t have those gimmicks. I don’t feel that it will necessarily do better than other hot pot places opening locally with more premium meats and unlimited veggies.

我住在加利福尼亚州，去过这里的海底捞。没有像亚洲连锁店那样的表演、美甲和按摩。我们这里的店没有这些噱头。

我不觉得它一定会比当地开的其他火锅店做得更好，优质肉类更多，蔬菜无限供应。

aidbaig2943

This is whwre the tiktok dance comes from lol.

tiktok上的舞蹈就是从那里传来的。哈哈

seanmiller7889

My coworkers in China took me to a Hot-Pot in the Wux area 8 years ago.

8年前，我在中国的同事带我去了无锡地区的一家火锅店。

MiniKodjo

Service is absurdly good. Its a bit too much sometimes.

服务好得离谱。有时有点太过了。

stvdmc2011

you can always decline.

你可以拒绝服务的

markplott4820

NOT worth the price.
prefer to serve Myself , like Mongolian BBQ.
but , they cook for you. one Bowl at a Time.

不值得这个价格。

喜欢自助的，喜欢蒙古烤肉。

他们为你做。一次一碗。

purberri

My area is flooded with hot pot restaurants already.

我这个地方已经到处是火锅店了

orldview2888

Hai Di Lao = Excellent service, wonderful experience, GREAT FOOD, and the environment inside the restaurant is very cozy and comfortable.

海底捞，优质的服务，美妙的体验，美味的食物，餐厅内的环境非常舒适。

mnmz6934

Definitely not the one in Cupertino, Bay Area. absolutely the worst haidilao in terms of service, price, etc. Maybe only the Chinese stores have superb service. The ones in America are not even close

绝对不是湾区库比蒂诺的那家。在服务、价格等方面绝对是最差的。也许只有中国境内的连锁店的服务一流。美国的连锁店差多了。

datianlongan5567

Tried the one in Arcadia CA. Environment & service are excellent but food is about the same as the locals in the San Gabriel area.

在加利福尼亚州阿卡迪亚尝试过。环境和服务都很好，但食物与圣加布里埃尔地区的当地店差不多。

lordlee6473

And no tips/gratuities needed! Top notch service is the norm in China. Unlike in the States, all they do is ask you “ is everything okay”, and then expect you to pay 15% tip, what a freaking joke

而且不需要小费！在中国，一流的服务是常态。而美国的店，他们只会问你“一切都好吗”，然后指望你付15%的小费，真是个笑话

acaciazzz

Almost all the perks like nails, nannies, dancing, is only in Asia

几乎所有的特色，如美甲、保姆、跳舞，都只有亚洲连锁店才有

dystropyko

Cant imagine americans liking this type of restaurant other than asian expats, hot pots can take a whole evening, and its more akin to a social gathering, rather than just a place to eat, the closest equivalent in US would be kbbq, but unlike kbbq in which the concept is very familiar to americans, hot pot is very foriegn.

除了亚洲外籍人士，很难想象美国人会喜欢这种类型的餐厅，吃火锅可能会吃上一整晚的时间，更像是一个社交聚会，而不仅仅是一个吃饭的地方，在美国最类似的餐厅是kbbq，但与美国人非常熟悉这个概念的kbbq不同，火锅是外来的

tteesstt666

If you see the service from Haidilao, you will be ashamed of west coast to-go stores charging minimum 20% tips

如果体验了海底捞的服务后，你会为西海岸的商店收取最低20%的小费而感到羞愧

ivanuski15

I found out about haidilao from the TikTok dance but sadly there's no restaurants near me yet

我刷TikTok，了解到了海底捞，遗憾的是，我附近还没有他们的店

haileyw2342

haidilao can definitely cheer you up when you’re feeling down..wish it was more affordable here in the states cuz i would go everyday

当你情绪低落时，去海底捞一定能让你振作起来。我希望在美国能吃得起，我每天都会去

ghtwghtw7197

Important is they serve good fresh food. Not junk food

重要的是他们提供新鲜美味的食物。不是垃圾食品

pt3363

Omg I’m Japanese and went to one in Osaka with my Chinese friend back in university but the taste was actually marvelous though it’s a bit too pricy

哎呀，我是日本人，大学时和我的中国朋友去了大阪的一家连锁店，味道确实很棒，尽管价格有点太贵了

missbubu1611

In the US customer service has to catch up to be successful. In China there are plenty of servers around, they never seem to be short staffed and not just in Haidilao.

在美国，客户服务必须迎头赶上才能取得成功。在中国，有很多服务员，他们似乎从来不会出现人手短缺，不仅仅是在海底捞，其他品牌的连锁店也是如此

haroldpierre1726

Been there after midnight!! They were awesome!!! I would hope this place spreads all over the US.

午夜后去过！太棒了，希望他们的连锁店能遍布美国。

shawnlu6080

As a Chinese, even in China , I won’t try HaiDiLao. It’s expensive and the food is just way from any WOW. You pay for the money mostly experiencing the service, not the food. So it’s up to what you want.

作为一个中国人，我也不会尝试海底捞。价格很贵，而且食物也没有传说的那么美味。主要是花钱享受服务。关键是看你想要什么

phoebeyutbt

If you haven't been to one with your family and friends yet - please do. It truly is a bonding experience.

如果你还没有和家人和朋友去吃过，那就去吧。这真的是一次美好的经历。

Nick-zw7gg

I enjoyed eating at the Haidilao in Shenzhen. Super cheap compared to the ones in the US too.

我喜欢在深圳的海底捞吃饭。与美国的店相比，价格也非常便宜。

hlsylsify

I wanna try one in London with my Chinese friend. TBH, some hot pot restaurants in London were a little bit disappointing.

我想和我的中国朋友在伦敦试吃下。老实说，伦敦的一些火锅店有点令人失望。

reginaldnand2235

In America we call this a mall.

在美国，我们称这种叫做购物中心。