A family gets together to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, and a reunion dinner is naturally indispensable. However, after making inquiries, the reporter found that even though the Mid-Autumn Festival is still a week away, this year's "Mid-Autumn Banquet" reservations in Lanzhou have already become highly sought after, with the market situation almost rivaling that of the "New Year's Eve Dinner", as seen at the Nanjiao Hotel in Shanghai.
In light of this situation, citizens are exploring alternative options: some choose to reunite earlier to avoid the rush during the Mid-Autumn Festival, others shift their gatherings to lunchtime, and some even opt for takeout, bringing the feast home for "reunion."
Private Rooms in High Demand
Mid-Autumn Banquet Reservations Surge
Ms. Sun, who works for a media company in Lanzhou, started looking for hotels three days ago to reserve a spot for her family's Mid-Autumn reunion dinner. However, after searching through dozens of hotels in Chengguan District, she barely managed to secure a reservation. On the morning of yesterday, when the reporter called over a dozen hotels in Chengguan and Qilihe districts to inquire about the reservation status for the festival day, the response was consistent: "Sorry, our private rooms and main dining halls are all booked for September 22nd!"
According to multiple catering enterprises, this year's "Mid-Autumn Banquet" reservations have essentially reached full capacity, with the market demand nearly matching that of the "New Year's Eve Dinner." Mr. Zhao Chang'an, the general manager of Chang'an Catering, explained that 80% of the hotel's private rooms around the Mid-Autumn Festival have already been reserved. The main hall has only a few spots available for lunch, while the evening banquet seats are almost fully booked. Additionally, diners on that day will receive complimentary mooncakes.
With "one table hard to find," will prices change? During the interviews, it was learned that despite the intense booking activity, there has not been any significant price adjustment; costs remain similar to previous years.
"Night Banquet" Hard to Secure, Shift to Lunch Still Worthwhile
As the "night banquet" for the Mid-Autumn Festival becomes increasingly difficult to secure, those who acted late have opted for creative alternatives: some choose to celebrate early by avoiding the peak festival period, while others switch their gathering to lunchtime.
According to Secretary Song of Jingyang Tower, the private rooms for the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 22nd were fully booked days in advance, with only a few remaining spots in the main hall. "Many customers who failed to book a table have chosen to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at an off-peak time, many of them scrambling to reserve tables before the festival, celebrating their 'reunion' early," said the reporter.
During interviews at Chang'an Catering, Fulequan, and Jingyang Tower, it was discovered that some citizens who failed to secure a "night banquet" reservation cleverly adjusted their plans, choosing instead to enjoy their Mid-Autumn reunion dinner at lunchtime.
Mr. Liu told the reporter, "I didn't expect this year's Mid-Autumn dinner to be so hard to book, it's almost like the New Year's Eve dinner. Since I couldn't get a private room for dinner, I had to move my celebration to lunch."
Takeout Services Allow Families to Celebrate at Home
During the interviews, it was also found that some catering companies provide "takeout banquet" services for those who neither secured a table nor wish to celebrate early, allowing citizens to take the meal home and celebrate their "reunion."
On September 13th, near the Chengguanying Station on Xigu East Road, the reporter visited a restaurant named "Satisfactory Courtyard Four Seasons" and discovered that the establishment had seized the opportunity presented by the difficulty of securing a table for the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner. They specially offered a "takeout banquet" service for customers who hadn't made reservations in time. Customers can pre-order their dishes, and on the day of the festival, dedicated staff will prepare the meals and deliver them to the customer's doorstep according to the agreed-upon time.
Mr. Wang Yijiang from the Shengchan Street residential area in Xigu District, while marking his order form with a pencil, told the reporter, "All the major hotels are fully booked for the Mid-Autumn Festival. This restaurant understands the needs of common people well. Their takeout service is great because we don't have to squeeze into a restaurant or do all the work at home."
Additionally, the reporter learned that a Japanese restaurant named "Izakaya" located in the middle section of Gan'nan South Road also launched a unique "takeout banquet" service for the Mid-Autumn Festival.