(Yicai) Aug. 8 -- Haidilao International Holding, a Chinese hotpot chain, is testing a new tactic to attract clients by sending free shuttle buses to take concertgoers to go and eat hotpot after the gig.

"Haidilao’s free buses will pick you up to eat hotpot, and Haidilao waits for you despite rain or wind," Shanghai Morning Paper reported, citing a commercial aired from buses that waited for fans outside a concert by Jolin Tsai in Shanghai on July 30. Fans could find light sticks, microphones, and audio equipment to continue partying at the restaurants.

The restaurants prepared to endorse the artists and the atmosphere is very good for an afterparty, according to the Shanghai branch of the Beijing-based chain.

A netizen said that she had taken Haidilao's free shuttle bus in Beijing after seeing music band MayDay perform. When she left the restaurant at midnight, there were concertgoers enough to fill at least 10 tables still lining up outside.

Haidilao was reported to test the same strategy in concerts of singers such as Jay Chou, Angela Chang, and Silence Wang in Hangzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, and other cities.

The music event scene is huge as in the first half, China had over 500 big concerts and music festivals, and the 5.5 million tickets cost CNY2.5 billion (USD346.6 million) while the robust trend is set to continue in the second half, according to the China Association of Performing Arts.

Haidilao opened its first restaurant in Jianyang, Sichuan province, in 1994. The company, which is known for its innovative services such as manicures and shoe cleaning for those who wait in line, has grown to operate almost 1,350 eateries in the mainland as of Dec. 31. In 2022, Haidilao expected to have increased its revenue by 24 percent to no less than CNY18.8 billion (USD2.6 billion) from 2021, accordion to the annual report.

Editor: Emmi Laine