Breakfast gone digital

"The digital breakfast project is reflected in many aspects, including the development of our pre-order app, the operation of our official account, cooperation with take-out platforms such as Eleme, and the centralized thermal cabinet for picking up," said Zhang Jiawei, an official in charge of the food trucks department of Liang-Food, which launched its first breakfast food truck in September 2019.

But apart from making life more convenient for the masses, the digitalization of breakfast offerings has also been a boon for some players in the food industry.

"Digitalization does not only increase efficiency and reduce queuing time－it also helps companies to improve and optimize products through digital research," Zhang explained.

"In addition, we can optimize the supply chain through research and conduct unmanned monitoring of the dining carts to improve quality."

Looking ahead, Zhang said the food trucks will soon introduce Western breakfast items such as coffee and set meals to their menus to keep up with the current demands of young consumers. The company is also planning to launch a new system that would improve the customer's online experience.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, the next phase of the National Breakfast Demonstration Project will see the continued promotion of digital breakfast services until 2022.

Food trucks in the city provide customers with a more convenient way to buy breakfast. CHINA DAILY

The plan states that there will be 1,000 sites in Shanghai that support online pre-ordering and are equipped with lockers that allow for breakfast pick-up by the end of 2022.

The continued promotion of shared breakfast stores, which are supplied by central kitchens, and inter-company collaborations will also be a key part of the plan. For example, customers are currently able to purchase LiangFood's shredded cake in Freshippo stores and Qingmei steamed buns at BK24 convenience stores.

The introduction of more healthy breakfast options is also in the works. To date, 12 enterprises have developed 208 nutritious breakfast sets catered to specific groups of people－patients with diabetes, the elderly, children and teenagers－according to the nutrition optimization plan by the government.

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn