Proposed WeChat Ban Could Further Wreck Business for NYC Chinese Restaurants | Eater NY

"After reopening in August following a March closure, I saw how this premium Cantonese fusion spot in Manhattan struggled with very limited outdoor seating and high delivery commissions (sometimes as high as 30 percent), so the owner created a WeChat group on August 1 to reconnect with customers; the group hit the 500-member cap within hours, spawned a second group within 48 hours, and eventually grew into 15 geographically divided groups totaling about 7,000 loyal customers (over 70 percent of whom are of Chinese descent and many are international students). The groups let the restaurant post daily menus and specials with purchase links, accept direct orders, coordinate pooled long-distance deliveries to places like Princeton and East Brunswick, and—managed by two full-time employees plus a volunteer administrator—have accounted for roughly one-third of the restaurant’s monthly orders since reopening." - Tony Lin