(Yicai Global) Aug. 26 -- Shares of Haidilao International Holding climbed today after the Chinese hotpot chain responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by opening new restaurants and boosting takeout orders.

Haidilao's stock price [HKG: 6862] surged as much as 5.2 percent to HKD48 (USD6.20) this morning, after which it was 1.6 percent up in the afternoon.

The restaurant chain made a net loss of CNY965 million (USD139.8 million) in the first half, after reporting CNY911 million in net profit a year ago, the Chengdu-based company said in its earnings report published yesterday. On July 7, the firm had warned its investors about a loss that should stand between CNY900 million and CNY1 billion.

The company's revenue fell 16.5 percent to CNY9.8 billion (USD1.4 billion) in the first half, it added.

Haidilao has been one of the successful examples of virus survivors amid many restaurant closures. But it has not been totally intact. All of the company's mainland outlets were shut from Jan. 26 to March 12 to stay safe amid the pandemic. Most of them have reopened after that.

The firm responded to the pandemic by plotting for the time after. Haidilao opened 173 new restaurants in the first half to reach more than 930 outlets while more than 90 percent of them are in China's mainland.

It also tapped into the demand for cozy hotpot dinners at home. Takeout revenue more than doubled to CNY410 million in the first half, making up 4 percent of the total. A year ago, the portion was less than 2 percent.

As usual, big fish seem to weather the storm better. Leading catering firms may actually benefit from the pandemic by enjoying less competition in choosing new store locations and receiving rental forgiveness, among other aspects, according to a report by Soochow Securities.

Editor: Emmi Laine