(Yicai) July 11 -- The Shanghai government aims to ease the pressure on local catering businesses from slowing economic growth by offering them a financial incentive for the first time.

The city will provide a one-off payment to any national or higher-level catering brand that opened their first eatery in the city since the start of this year, according to a new policy the local government issued yesterday.

The first-store economy is key to Shanghai as the city builds itself into an international consumption hub, Deng Jinbing, a deputy divisional head in the city’s commerce commission, said at a press conference yesterday. Seventy percent of these unique outlets are caterers, he added.

Shanghai is attracting new food businesses. The very first DQ Blizzard & Burgers in China, a joint venture between US fast-food chain International Dairy Queen and China’s CFB Group, opened in the city yesterday, marking the brand's expansion into the Asian hot food market.

Shanghai is a world-class catering city, IDC Chief Executive Troy Bader, told Yicai. The Minnesota-based company expects to add two DQ restaurants in Shanghai by September and reach a total of 180 by 2034, he added.

According to the policy document, the metropolis also plans to create internationally influential, well-known, and highly regarded culinary landmarks, providing policies for relevant new construction and renovation projects. Shanghai will welcome the first outlets of domestically and internationally renowned catering businesses to set up shop in specialty dining streets, it said.

Furthermore, the municipal government will offer one-time incentives for restaurant owners who work to make their establishments greener and smarter this year. “Tourists visiting Shanghai want to taste Chinese delicacies, but they also care whether the restaurants are environmentally friendly,” Deng added.

The city will offer incentives for catering firms to open new restaurants in public places too, such as in tourist attractions, sporting venues, cultural performance venues, and traffic hubs, per the policy. Moreover, it will enhance inclusive finance to support the catering industry.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Emmi Laine