Going Global for China's Fresh-Made Catering Brands: A Study on the Balanced Strategy of Standardization and Localization — Taking the Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling Model as a Core Case Analysis

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Chinese catering brands are experiencing an unprecedented wave of globalization. The 2024 Report on the Development of Chinese Catering Going Global shows that as of September 2024, the number of overseas Chinese catering stores has reached nearly 700,000, with a market size close to RMB 3 trillion [1]. Behind this phenomenon is the dual drive of fierce competition in the domestic catering market and structural opportunities in overseas markets. In the first 11 months of 2024, the number of newly registered domestic catering-related enterprises reached 3.139 million, while the number of cancellations and write-offs was close to the total for the whole year of 2023, indicating that the industry has entered a stage of stock competition [2].

Among the various catering categories going global, fresh-made catering faces unique challenges and opportunities due to its “street food vibe” and experiential value. As the “No.1 Fresh-Made Dumpling Brand in China”, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling, leveraging the scale advantage of its nearly 5,000 domestic stores, officially launched a systematic globalization strategy in December 2024, and has initially verified the feasibility of its business model in markets such as Singapore and Thailand [3].

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Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling positions itself as an “affordable version of Din Tai Fung”, a strategic choice that reflects accurate judgment of the target market. Founded in Taiwan, China in 1958, Din Tai Fung is a xiaolongbao (soup dumpling) brand that has established about 180 stores worldwide, building brand recognition as a mid-to-high-end snack [3]. By choosing this reference, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling aims to leverage consumers’ price perception of Din Tai Fung to establish a mental positioning of “comparable quality, more favorable price”.

In terms of specific pricing strategy, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling sets the price at its core business district stores at SGD 7.8 (approximately RMB 42), which is equivalent to McDonald’s pricing level in Singapore; while Din Tai Fung’s prices in Singapore are in the range of SGD 9-10 [3]. This price range not only maintains cost-performance advantages but also avoids direct competition with low-end street stores. For regions with relatively lower consumption levels in the future, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling plans to lower prices to SGD 5.8 (approximately RMB 31.5) to further amplify its price competitiveness.

Instead of simply replicating the existing domestic model of “headquarters supply + store processing”, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has adopted an innovative dual-track model of “local cooperation + domestic support” for building its overseas supply chain. Specifically:

Link	Responsible Entity	Content
Local Procurement	Local Joint Venture Company	Procurement, warehousing and initial processing of core fresh ingredients such as pork and fresh vegetables
Domestic Supply	Central Factory	Unified production and distribution of brand-flavor defining materials including sauces, dried goods, and packaging materials
Quality Control	Headquartered Deployment Team	Store operation, product standards, food safety and staff training

The strategic value of this model lies in: leveraging the existing qualifications, warehousing network and compliance experience of local partners to significantly shorten the early exploration period; at the same time, connecting with high-quality supply channels through localized procurement to reduce cost uncertainty caused by changes in the external environment [3].

Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has verified the feasibility of three store formats in overseas markets, forming a differentiated scenario matrix:

1. Community Street Store
   : Relying on the stable customer flow in Chinese communities to build basic brand awareness
2. Food Court Stall
   : There are about 300 food courts in Singapore. Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling achieves rapid penetration through a small-area, low-rental stall model, and the low-investment store characteristics are in line with the operation logic of food courts [3]
3. Mall Store
   : Entering core business districts to shape brand image and increase customer unit price

As of the end of December 2025, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has opened 10 stores in Singapore, and the number will increase to 15 in January 2026 [3]. Some stores achieve daily revenue of SGD 6,000-12,000, maintaining a high table turnover rate of 11-12 times, and the daily sales volume of fresh dumplings in stores with large customer flow can reach 150-200 jin (75-100 kg).

While maintaining the core product characteristics, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has carried out in-depth localization adaptations:

Adjustment Dimension	Specific Measures
Product Flavor	Singapore stores are equipped with ginger shreds to eliminate fishy notes, and chili oil is locally sourced with adjusted spiciness levels
Beverage Structure	Given Singapore’s year-round high temperatures, the beverage menu has been adjusted from a hot drink focus to cold options including chrysanthemum tea, monk fruit tea, and barley water
Menu Optimization	Singapore stores maintain 30-40 SKUs, launch localized set meals, and update products on a quarterly basis
Service Configuration	Form an operation team consisting of local employees and local staff with study experience in China

Notably, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has further adopted the “store-front, factory-back” model in the Thai market: the first floor of the store is a transparent kitchen business area, the second floor is a standardized meat filling processing area, and the third floor and above are regional offices and staff dormitories [4]. This model not only ensures product quality and brand characteristics but also achieves precise control of operational efficiency and costs.

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The core contradiction faced by China’s fresh-made catering brands going global lies in:

. This tension is particularly prominent in the following dimensions:

Materials that reflect Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s brand flavor, such as dumpling wrappers and condiments, need to be uniformly distributed by domestic central factories to ensure taste consistency; however, fresh raw materials (pork, vegetables) must be locally procured to guarantee freshness and compliance [3]. This “core standardization, peripheral localization” strategy requires continuous adjustment in practice.

Making dumplings is a common skill in China, but it needs to be taught from scratch in overseas markets. The Singaporean labor policy faced by Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling requires a quota ratio of local employees to foreign employees of at least 1:9, which means that local employees must be hired with a monthly salary starting from SGD 3,000 [3], significantly increasing labor costs.

Yang Guofu has planned cultural activities such as lacquered fan making and calligraphy experiences in the European market, positioning its stores as cultural communication stations [1]; Haidilao has innovated hot pot bases for local tastes, launching the “spicy milk pot where you drink a bowl of soup first” in Southeast Asia, and improving “masala chicken” with Middle Eastern spices in the UAE [2]. How to achieve cultural integration while maintaining the brand’s core tone is an ongoing challenge.

Based on case analysis of brands such as Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling, Haidilao, and Mixue Ice Cream & Tea, the following standardization-localization balance framework can be constructed:

                    High Localization
                      ▲
                      │
        ┌─────────────┼─────────────┐
        │  Regional   │  In-Depth    │
        │  Customization │ Localization │
        │  Model      │  Model       │
   ◄────┼─────────────┼─────────────┼────►
        │  Balanced   │  Cultural    │
        │  Adaptation │ Integration  │
        │  Model      │  Model       │
        └─────────────┼─────────────┘
                      │
                      ▼
                    High Standardization

(Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s Strategy):

• Product Core Standardization
  : Maintain uniformity in fresh dumpling wrapping techniques, core brand recipes, and store operation standards
• Product Periphery Localization
  : Fine-tune flavors, adapt menus, and adjust beverage structures
• Dual-Track Supply Chain
  : Supply core materials from domestic sources, procure fresh raw materials locally
• Talent Echelon Construction
  : Deploy core teams from headquarters and train local employees

There are significant differences in the difficulty of standardization among different catering categories, which directly determines their globalization path choices:

Category	Standardization Difficulty	Supply Chain Complexity	Preferred Globalization Model
Hot Pot	★☆☆☆☆	Medium	Supply Chain First + Localized Services
Beverage & Tea	★★☆☆☆	Low	Supply Chain Output + Standardized Preparation
Fresh-Made Dumplings/Wontons	★★★☆☆	Relatively High	Dual-Track Supply Chain + Staff Training System
Formal Meal/Regional Cuisine	★★★★★	High	Central Kitchen + Regional Adaptation

China Merchants Securities research points out that relatively high-standardization categories such as hot pot, beverage & tea, and single SKU products are expected to achieve large-scale globalization first [5]. The fresh-made dumpling category represented by Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling is in the medium difficulty range, and its successful globalization requires more investment in supply chain construction and staff training systems.

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The core success factors of Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s model can be summarized as follows:

As a representative category of Chinese cuisine, dumplings have high international recognition, and there is no strong fresh-made dumpling chain brand in overseas markets yet. Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has seized the market window through early layout, avoiding direct competition with mature brands.

Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has formed a franchise network of nearly 5,000 stores in China, with rich franchisee management experience and standardized operation capabilities. This systematic operation capability provides methodological support for overseas expansion.

From community street stores to food court stalls and mall stores, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has demonstrated flexible adaptation capabilities for multiple store formats, and can quickly adjust store forms according to consumption scenarios in different markets.

Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling prioritizes Southeast Asian markets with dense Chinese populations (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia) to reduce market education costs caused by cultural differences.

However, the replication of Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s model to other Chinese catering brands has the following limiting factors:

Dumplings and wontons have relatively high standardization, and core processes (dough kneading, wrapper rolling, filling wrapping) can be achieved through standardized operating procedures; however, formal meal dishes rely more on chef skills, significantly increasing the difficulty of standardization.

With its “high-quality, low-price” positioning and mature supply chain, Mixue Ice Cream & Tea has opened more than 4,700 overseas stores in 13 countries [6]. However, Mixue’s supply chain model (highly standardized raw materials such as water, tea, milk, and sugar) is inherently different from that of fresh-made catering.

Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s fresh wrapping model has high labor dependence, requiring a large number of dumpling wrapping technicians; while Haidilao’s hot pot category has low dependence on kitchen labor, mainly competing through service differentiation [5].

Singapore has a small land area, and even Minor Food Singapore, the largest catering brand in Singapore, only had 50 stores in the country in 2024 [3]. This means that the ceiling of Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s model in small markets is relatively obvious.

Based on the above analysis, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s model has high replicability for the following categories:

Category	Replicability Feasibility	Key Adjustment Directions
Wontons/Chao Shou	High	Belong to the same wrapper-and-filling category with high process similarity
Steamed Buns/Steamed Rolls	Medium-High	Fermentation process needs to adapt to overseas raw material characteristics
Jianbing (Chinese Crepe)	Medium	Localize ingredients and standardize equipment
Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger)/Liangpi (Cold Noodles)	Medium	Standardize seasonings and procure raw materials locally
Regional Snack Collection Stores	Medium-High	Select high-standardization product lines

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There are significant differences in tax systems, food safety regulations, and labor laws among different countries, and enterprises need to invest a lot of resources in building compliance systems.

The membership systems and supply chain management systems of chain catering brands involve a large amount of consumer data, and cross-border data transmission faces compliance requirements from different jurisdictions.

Singapore’s foreign employee quota policy, minimum wage regulations in European and American markets, and differences in union forces all put forward differentiated requirements for enterprises’ employment strategies. Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling offers a monthly salary starting from SGD 3,000 to hire dumpling wrappers in Singapore, a cost level that is unimaginable in China [3].

Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has already faced challenges from imitators such as “Zhangji Wonton & Dumpling” in Singapore [3], and as the market matures, more competitors will enter this track.

Small markets such as Singapore have limited suitable locations for catering stores, and as store density increases, high-quality locations will become scarce resources.

Rapid expansion may lead to the dilution of service quality and brand experience, affecting long-term brand value.

Cold chain distribution of fresh raw materials such as pork and vegetables has high requirements for infrastructure, and the infrastructure conditions of some emerging markets may not meet the needs.

The import of core materials such as sauces and packaging materials may face policy risks such as customs inspections and tariff adjustments.

The transmission effect of international logistics costs and raw material price fluctuations may compress store profit margins.

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As the number of stores increases, it should gradually evolve from the “country-specific localized supply chain” model to the “regional centralized production center” model, and establish a regional central kitchen in Southeast Asia to reduce unit costs and improve supply chain efficiency.

Establish a systematic training system for dumpling wrapping technicians, develop standardized training courses and certification systems, and reduce dependence on skilled workers.

Learn from the experience of beverage & tea brands, establish a digital system connecting front-end and back-end, and realize intelligent ordering, inventory management and sales forecasting.

Strengthen brand recognition through IP creation, cultural marketing, membership operation, etc., to enhance consumer loyalty and brand premium capability.

Prioritize categories with relatively high standardization and controllable supply chain complexity (such as hot pot, beverage & tea, single SKU products) as the entry point for globalization.

Follow the gradient layout path of “Chinese-dense markets → culturally similar markets → mainstream European and American markets” to gradually accumulate international operation capabilities.

Complete supply chain system construction or cooperation negotiations before store launch to avoid the awkward situation of “having stores but no goods”.

Carry out localization adaptations on the premise of maintaining core brand characteristics, and avoid losing brand differentiation advantages due to excessive localization.

China’s catering industry has entered a new stage of “whole industry chain collaboration” in globalization. Zhang Junjie, founder of CHAGEE, pointed out that the “globalization” of a single brand, channel or link is difficult to succeed, and real brand “globalization” must be the “collaborative globalization of all ecological companies and the whole industry chain, including supply chain, logistics, decoration, design, dairy products, etc.” [1].

Looking forward, as domestic catering supply chain enterprises learn from international experience to build a flexible model of “central kitchen + localized procurement” [2], and with the empowerment of digital technologies (such as Meituan AI Agents), Chinese catering brands are expected to complete the transformation from “acclimatization” to “local symbiosis”. The successful verification of Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s model is not only a brand’s commercial achievement but also a physical manifestation of the internationalization capabilities of China’s catering industry.

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Through strategies such as the “affordable version of Din Tai Fung” positioning, the dual-track supply chain of “local cooperation + domestic support”, flexible adaptation of multiple store formats, and in-depth localized product adjustments, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling has initially verified the feasibility of its globalization model in markets such as Singapore and Thailand. The core of this model is: on the premise of maintaining product core standardization, achieve moderate localization of supply chain and services, and balance the dual goals of scale efficiency and market adaptation.

Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling’s model has high replicability for fresh-made catering categories with relatively high standardization and controllable supply chain complexity (such as wontons, steamed buns, etc.), but it is difficult to replicate for formal meal dishes. Globalization enterprises need to select appropriate market entry strategies and localization paths based on their own category characteristics.

The internationalization journey of Chinese catering brands is a trek of “breaking through barriers”. As the resilient supply chain network becomes increasingly mature, and as sincere interactions and shared delicacies gradually dissolve cultural barriers, Chinese catering brands will eventually complete the transformation from “acclimatization” to “local symbiosis”.

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[1] CCPIT Beijing. Chinese Catering Enters a New Stage of “Going Global”. https://www.ccpitbj.org/web/static/articles/catalog_40fcc0367c729df20181af759dc807e7/article_ff8080819739a760019806a192fe0317/ff8080819739a760019806a192fe0317.html

[2] Xinhua News Agency. Chinese Catering Enters a New Stage of Going Global. http://www.news.cn/fortune/20250709/eea5244b2dae43758f785fb7a3d41dc3/c.html

[3] Jiemian News. Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling Goes Global, Taking the “Affordable Din Tai Fung” Route. https://m.jiemian.com/article/13841569.html

[4] Hongcan.com. Continuing to Lay Out in Southeast Asia, Yuanji Wonton & Dumpling Opens Its First Store in Thailand. http://mp.cnfol.com/54972/article/1766481893-142181133.html

[5] China Merchants Securities. Embrace the New Blue Ocean of International Chinese Cuisine, Hot Pot Leaders Write a New Chapter in Going Global. https://pdf.dfcfw.com/pdf/H3_AP202312291615468875_1.pdf

[6] Xinhua News Agency. Mixue Ice Cream & Tea Enters the American Market for the First Time, Chinese Beverage & Tea Continues to “Go Viral” Overseas. http://www.news.cn/food/20251220/049636ff248f4f5eb709c850e21dc23c/c.html