Shaxian Delicacies, a beloved Chinese snack brand, has grown into a billion-yuan industry employing hundreds of thousands of people.
Originating in a rural county in Sanming, east China's Fujian Province, Shaxian food has evolved from a local street delicacy to a nationwide sensation, with franchises spread across the country.
Today, it operates in nearly 100,000 outlets, more than McDonald's and KFC combined.
Part of its appeal is good food at fair prices. A typical meal -- one plate of mixed noodles, a bowl of wonton, one pot of soup and nine steamed dumplings, costs just 47 yuan (about 6.9 U.S. dollars).
Wang Xiaozhong, a Shaxian native, has run a restaurant serving Shaxian delicacies for three years.
"The main appeal is good quality at fair prices that most people can afford. We also use high-quality ingredients. The flavors are relatively light, which most people find easy to accept," said Wang.
Wang's restaurant is located on a busy street and fills up with nearby workers during lunch hours.
"Daily income is okay from Monday to Friday, at around 4,000 yuan. Those on Saturday and Sunday are slightly less, at around 3,000 yuan," said Wang.
The business of Shaxian Delicacies has not only created jobs but also drawn people from across the country to its standardized, large-scale training programs.
"Our goal is to develop a pool of skilled personnel for standard shops, equipped to manage brand promotion, operations, quality enhancement, and product innovation, so as to drive high-quality industrial growth of Shaxian Delicacies through standardization," said Su Wei, director of Shaxian District Snack Industry Service Center.
To date, Shaxian Delicacies generates more than 55 billion yuan (about 7.64 billion U.S. dollars) in annual revenue and employs over 300,000 people.
Chinese snack brand Shaxian Delicacies grows into billion-yuan industry, employing over 300,000
