Capital to serve up late-night dining

Beijing will establish 10 areas for late-night dining by the end of 2021 to meet the growing needs of the public, authorities said on Wednesday.

Yan Ligang, head of Beijing's Commerce Bureau, said consumers are requiring a higher level of services, and upgrading the sector is essential to the capital's high-quality development.

Under the plan, authorities will encourage the dining industry to be greener and more regulated.

"People's desire for late-night dining has increased in recent years," the plan said. "Breakfast services will also be improved by the end of 2021, with a target of establishing more than 300 fixed stores."

Li Xinlei, a 25-year-old white-collar worker in Chaoyang district, said she frequently goes to a late-night dining block with dozens of restaurants called the 21 Block at the Hopson One shopping mall near the East Fourth Ring Road.

"Night life starts at 9 pm with delicious food and drinks," she said. "I'm happy that we have such a place to relax and enjoy the food at night. My friends and I often go there after work."

In addition, the government will upgrade barrier-free facilities in all shopping centers to ensure that 90 percent of the city's shopping areas provide full service for disabled people by 2021.

Pan Yuming, an expert with Beijing's industry and commerce federation, said the government will impose detailed standards on industries such as dining, hairdressing and domestic services and cultivate professionals in those industries.

"During the drafting of those standards, we have learned from other countries such as Japan, which is well-known for its good service, and will try to raise the efficiency of the city's services," he said.

The bureau signed agreements on Wednesday with Meituan and Alibaba Group's Koubei, two online consumer service providers, to use their big databases to evaluate the degree of satisfaction from the public.