Hungry Panda, Fantuan, Chowbus — the food deliveries apps targeting Chinese-speaking communities in the U.S.
Source：Chowbus, The New York Times, Illinois Tech Magazine, Bon appetit
From：Taiwan Trade Center, New York
Update Time：2024/02/22
Food delivery apps like Hungry Panda, Fantuan, and Chowbus, all developed in the 2010s with the goal of catering to Chinese-speaking communities in the U.S., are now booming. According to The New York Times, the rapid growth of these platforms is partly attributed to the increasing Chinese population in the U.S., with 2.38 million Chinese immigrants as of 2021 — up from 1.8 million in 2010 — and the presence of nearly 300,000 Chinese students in American educational institutions in 2022. Backed by venture capital for growth, Hungry Panda, Fantuan, and Chowbus are quickly expanding to many cities across the U.S. and now have millions of users. Why are these apps so appealing to the Chinese-speaking communities in the U.S.?
First of all, the interfaces of these platforms have been designed on the model of mainland China’s most popular food delivery platform, Meituan Waimai. This familiarity makes it easier for those who feel more comfortable reading and ordering in Chinese. As per a study conducted in 2022 by the Asian American Federation, 58.5% of the Chinese community in New York possesses only a "limited proficiency" in English. Some users also note that menus written in Chinese retain the more precise descriptions of dishes, ensuring that nuances that might be lost in translation are preserved.
Additionally, Asian food delivery apps help cure the culinary homesickness of Chinese immigrants living in the United States. According to Guan Shi Goh, the president of the City University of New York’s Chinese Students & Scholars Association, the apps give students “a culinary sense of belonging in a new place.” In their mission to support small eateries that serve genuine and authentic cuisine, apps like Fantuan and Chowbus handpick the best local restaurants offering regional cuisines that other platforms — such as Grubhub and UberEats — usually don’t list, and categorize them in a way that makes more sense to Chinese users. Other food delivery apps in the U.S. classify food on a national level, which is not relevant for a Chinese person, as all the different cuisines native to China cannot be simply defined in a single category called “Chinese food”. Users especially highlight that the reviews and rankings on Asian food-focused delivery apps better represent the Asian community's culinary preferences.
While being a great way to access regional cuisines for users missing home, Asian food delivery apps still share similar criticisms with services like Grubhub or UberEats. For instance, Hungry Panda imposes a minimum 15% commission on restaurants, and this can increase to 25% for additional perks, such as enhanced visibility in search results. This results in users choosing to utilize these platforms as a discovery tool rather than for frequent ordering, preferring to order directly from restaurants.
To learn more about Chowbus
Chowbus was founded in 2016 in Chicago by Chinese immigrants Suyu Zhang and Linxin Wen. In 2020, the app received a $33 million investment from Silicon Valley venture capitalist firms, including Altos Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank, with investors lauding its specific focus on the Asian restaurant market. Chowbus distinguishes itself in the competitive food-delivery market through a curated, dish-centric approach. Staff selectively showcase the best dishes from each restaurant on the app and enable customers to order from multiple neighboring restaurants in a single order without extra fees. While reflecting the Chinese cultural tradition of sharing diverse dishes during a meal, this also benefits dessert or drink-focused establishments (e.g., bubble tea shops) with additional orders and exposure. Furthermore, Chowbus tries to maintain close connection with restaurant owners by employing staff fluent in Korean, Thai, Mandarin, or Cantonese, ensuring a smooth communication, language-wise and culture-wise. Chowbus has plans for future expansion into more cities and has introduced a "dine-in" function, enabling customers to order and pay from their phones for a contactless dining experience. With a commitment to assisting partners in recovering from the pandemic, the platform aims to provide better support in the transition to the digital age to measure up to larger, technologically advanced competitors. It is now offering Chowbus POS — custom technology solutions to help business owners maintain a competitive edge.
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/06/dining/food-delivery-apps-chinese-speakers.html