(Yicai Global) May 5 -- China's takeout sales almost doubled during the recent May Day holiday from that of 2019 as Chinese people are eager to come together and feast after three pandemic years, according to Meituan.

From April 29 to May 3, food and beverage sales grew 92 percent on all Chinese takeout platforms from the same period in 2019, according to the Beijing-based on-demand service operator. Some restaurant-goers had as many as 1,000 groups before them in line, the firm that also offers Groupon-like restaurant deals added.

Early May is a peak season for dining out and traveling, Wen Zhihong, general manager of Hehong Consulting, told Yicai Global. Consumer demand, which had been bottled up for three years, was finally unleashed during the holiday, the GM added.

In Guangzhou’s Grandview Mall, people formed a line of hundreds of meters to dine at a newly opened Chef Fei, even an hour before the Hunan-style restaurant opened, Yicai Global learned. The table turnover rate reached 1,200 percent over the five days, the operator said. Lines formed outside the eatery from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

From April 29 to May 1, hotpot chain operator Haidilao International Holding served nearly 5.3 million customers across China, up about 65 percent from a year ago and around an 80 percent increase from a week earlier, it said.

Moreover, Haidilao’s food delivery business was thriving as the number of orders from April 28 to May 1 rose more than 45 percent from a month earlier. A person in charge of community operations said that many clients chose to go and camp in suburban areas or organize family dinners while boosting party takeout demand.

Xiabuxiabu Catering Management China Holdings, the operator of Xiabu Xiabu hotpot restaurants, boosted its revenue almost three times during the holiday from a year ago. Sales of 23 stores broke records.

Tea drink sellers were also busy. Nayuki Holdings earned over CNY100 million (USD14.5 million) during the five days, selling nearly six million cups of beverages, more than doubling from a year ago, the fruit tea chain revealed. Certain outlets recorded over 800 percent increases in sales.

The flourishing catering industry during the May Day holiday is the epitome of strong consumer demand recovery and it has played a positive role in boosting the confidence of the entire industry, according to Chen Xinhua, president of the China Hospitality Association.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi