Sichuan Sanku Maots’ai Brand Management spent RMB 200 million on a 22,000-square-meter automated plant to support international store expansion across more than 20 countries.
The investment delivers an annual production capacity exceeding 40,000 tons of specialized broths and seasoning bases, anchoring a store network that spans 300 cities.
Announced this week in October 2026, the industrial manufacturing setup underpins the chain’s move to scale standardized Sichuan maocai across China and global markets.
The company strips complex cooking tasks out of franchised outlets by manufacturing core seasonings centrally. Stores receive shelf-stable or cold-chain flavor packs, including traditional beef-fat hot pot bases, ginger-lemon broths and tomato profiles, eliminating the need to employ specialized chefs on site.
Kitchen staff complete operational training in six days. Headquarters supplies pre-portioned seasoning packets while local franchisees manage raw ingredients, basic assembly and front-of-house service under strict workflow templates.
Digital systems link store-level ordering directly to central warehouse inventory, standardizing recipes across disparate markets where culinary skills vary widely. Cold-chain freight agreements and pre-cleared customs documentation handle international replenishment.
Fast-casual Chinese dining chains are racing to strip out back-of-house labor costs to survive tight retail margins and rapid store rollout schedules.
For shopping mall landlords and commercial operators, chef-free formats sharply lower exhaust ducting and grease-trap buildout expenses. Operators can open in smaller footprints with cheaper utility loads, compressing payback periods even in high-wage overseas hubs.
The operational risk sits squarely in the cross-border supply channel. When an overseas franchise relies entirely on proprietary soup bases shipped from Sichuan, any regional customs hold-up or cold-chain disruption halts dining room service immediately, leaving zero room for local ingredient improvisation.
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