Popular Chinese hotpot chain sets its sights on US, to open first outlet in New York early next year
- Xiaolongkan was ranked as the third-largest hotpot chain in China, trailing only Haidilao and Xiabu Xiabu
- New shop to open in the first quarter of 2020 in Flushing, New York
Xiaolongkan, one of China’s largest hotpot chains, will open its first shop in the US in early 2020 and add nine more restaurants overseas in the next two years, the latest indication of the Chinese hotpot industry’s global ambition.
The Sichuan-based chain is bringing its famous spicy hotpot to New York as soon as the first quarter of next year, company officials said. It has just signed a lease for a 500 square metre space in a new commercial complex named Tangram located in Flushing, also known as Chinatown.
Xiaolongkan, with over 800 outlets in China, is also planning shops in cities including Los Angeles, Houston, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Auckland. It currently has 10 overseas shops in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
“The US is an important market that we are focusing on right now,” said Liu Yin, director of operations at Chengdu Xiaolongkan Catering Management, operator of Xiaolongkan restaurants. “The market potential is huge.”
In China, hotpot accounts for 14 per cent of the 4 trillion yuan (US$578 billion) dining sector, making it the largest segment in formal dining, according to a report by consulting firm iiMedia Research.