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Some Shanghai diners have been having speakeasy moments in restaurants lately, with shady outside glass, dark rooms, no photos, low-key conversation, and a watchful eye out for strange people who look like they want to listen in.
The catering industry has been hurt by the lockdown measures, and many residents are hoping that restaurant dining will resume soon as a sign of normalcy.
According to Shanghai’s latest pandemic control measures, dine-in service will be allowed from Wednesday.
“I always open my arms to poems and lands far away. The recent wish list is fine dining in restaurants with friends,” said Cookie, a Lonely Planet author and a gourmand fan based in Shanghai. She used to dine out two or three days a week before the lockdown.
Dining has a deeper meaning for Lao Shang. As a real estate company officer, he finds it nearly impossible to find a place in downtown to meet clients and business partners. “Socializing is important for business development. If the restaurants open, it is a sign that the hustle and bustle of city life are back,” he noted.
Since June 1, some cafes and restaurants opened briefly before being forced to shut again over recurring cases.
Except for the three suburban districts of Jinshan, Fengxian and Chongming, all other eateries in Shanghai are prohibited from offering dine-in service, according to a notice released last Monday by the Shanghai Commission of Commerce.
The policy was strictly followed. Five Guys on Huaihai Road M. closed its streetside entrance and now only serves burgers and drinks for pickup and takeaway.
Most restaurants have put up clear signs saying “No Indoors Service” or “Please Don’t Sit.”
Uniformed officers now patrol Yongkang Road in Xuhui District, which is often crowded with expats, coffee lovers and pet owners.
“We’ve been told not to put tables and chairs along the roadside or we’ll be fined,” a coffee shop employee said.
A few small establishments remain open, but only to “VIPs and acquaintances.”
An Italian restaurant in Huangpu District admitted to allowing outdoor dining for “old clients and friends” of about 20 people. It, however, insists on reservations while discouraging walk-in dining.
Recently, netizens on WeChat and Douyin shared their speakeasy experiences in order to secure a dining table.
To enter restaurants, they must use excuses such as “looking for a friend inside” or “finding a place to rest” and show reservation information or even “codes,” with doors closing immediately. They must sometimes dine in the dark with only a mobile phone light source or remain silent.
Posts and videos on social media say that they should be ready to leave through the back door in case they are checked without warning.
The majority of speakeasy-style restaurants are located in independent buildings, rather than in shopping malls with strict inspection requirements. They usually have separate private rooms for dining.
Sounds strange and amusing? However, the catering sector has sufficient reasons to act in this way to overcome the “desperate situation.”
Lin Ruojian, founder of Jia He Yu, a Fujian cuisine brand, and his 100 employees are still staying in dormitories and waiting for the dine-in services to reopen.
Since March, his restaurant has lost approximately 600,000 yuan (US$92,307) per month in terms of dormitory rent, labor and food materials. In June, he tried to work out a takeaway business but failed.
It added new costs, such as rising food and delivery expenses and high commission fees for takeaway platforms, with “very limited orders” every day.
Lin said that the fresh seafood, such as a Xiamen-style oyster, which was a popular dish in the restaurant, was not suitable for takeaway.
Another restaurant owner who identified himself as Tiger said he was concerned about missing the best time for eel gourmet as well as paying property rent and public utility bills. Last year, he spent about 2 million yuan on decorations for his second restaurant in Shanghai.
Several cafes and canteens in the surrounding community have been relocated or closed because they could not afford the rent and other costs, Tiger said.
Tiger, who has worked in Japan, has been testing water for the takeaway business since June. But he didn’t get any orders during peak dining hours as he sat and talked to Shanghai Daily for an hour.
Posts on social media say that dozens of high-end restaurants serving Chinese, Japanese, French and Mediterranean food are in “a desperate situation” and fighting to stay open.
The Shanghai government has created a package of incentives for pandemic-affected industries such as catering and tourism, including for rent, tax, social security and special loans.
Incentive coupons will be distributed to residents in an effort to stimulate the economy when the pandemic is eventually brought under control.
Some time-honored food brands and restaurants, such as Oriental House, or Zuidong, are continuing with takeaway services.
They admit that takeaway revenue is limited, but it’s a new channel for keeping in touch with customers and spreading brand ideas.
But it hasn’t helped much. The majority of local residents have learned to cook by themselves during the over two-month-long lockdown.
“A lamb barbecue store and several hotpot restaurants are on my wish list,” Cookie pointed out. “Aside from food, the best dining experience is to chat and share feelings with friends.”
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