Every day, hundreds of thousands of office workers in Shenzhen must choose where to eat lunch. Hygiene and cost are among their top priorities. There is also the issue of long queues in crowded areas such as Futian CBD, Shenzhen High-tech Industrial Park (SHIP) in Nanshan District, Tairan industrial area and Huaqiangbei area in Futian District. Lunch hour can be quite a stressful time for Shenzheners.

But the situation is improving as more restaurants open in these areas. In Futian, two food distribution centers will be built by the end of this year to cater to 90,000 people. In the southern part of SHIP, about 90,000 people a day can eat in the nearby canteens. The Futian District Government is encouraging private canteens with favorable policies such as subsidies to alleviate the problem.(Zhao Jie)