FRANCHISE

Mala hotpot bar survived 7 yr · FRANCHISE

Hu Zihao, 49 · 7 yr

“Mala hotpot bar speedrun. Almost went under more than once. Made it anyway.”

It is my shop, but some things are not my decision.

You follow the headquarters manual. The sign, the products, the prices, even the greeting are decided. Cash $9,071, debt $40,421, 0 employees, 804 customers. Margin is 8%. It is stable, but you make fewer decisions than you expected.

How it went

1. 2026 · preparing to openHu Zihao, 43. You have decided to try starting a company in New York. No idea, no product yet. Savings $60,946, employed ($4,833 a month).
2. 8/2026: what now?Start a business: «Mala hotpot bar» — You are going with «Mala hotpot bar». Next: a location and people.
3. First, the right to stayGet an investor visa — It took three months, and two extra trips for one missing form. The day the residence card arrived, you finally felt like a business owner here.
4. Where to start, and with whatGround floor with foot traffic — It is a good spot. People walking by see the sign. The money going out every month got heavier.
5. Who opens the doors with you?Hire one experienced person properly — In the interview they knew this trade better than you. A little uncomfortable, a lot reassuring.
6. 2026 · year 1 beginsChinese Demand Cooled
7. 8/28 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
8. An insurance agent dropped byOnly the compulsory cover — The bare minimum. The rest is luck.
9. 9/6 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
10. 9/16 · Hygiene inspection noticeWord went round that a shop on your street was fined at inspection. You redid the kitchen cleaning rota.
11. 10/22 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
12. The “$20,000 a month or your money back” courseBlock the ad — You block it and another account posts the same ad. The money is still in your account.
13. 11/10 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 4% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
14. 12/6 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
15. 1/19 · Down sickDay three of a cold that will not lift. No time to see a doctor.
16. 1/28 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
17. A review farm makes an offerDecline — You deleted the message. That week one customer left a good review on their own. One.
18. 2/25 · FamilyYour family packed you lunch. The note said, “Eat properly.”
19. 3/7 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
20. 3/27 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
21. 4/15 · Building repairsWater leaked from upstairs. You and the landlord argued over who pays for the stain on the ceiling.
22. 4/22 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
23. Do we hire a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee?Hire as an employee — You ran the first paycheck. Withholding and insurance took a good bite, and they said they would be back next month.
24. 5/16 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,515 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $112,990.
25. 5/30 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
26. 6/20 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
27. 7/13 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
28. 7/29 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 8% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
29. Priorities for the next three monthsImprove quality — You fixed the small annoyances one by one. Customers did not mention the change, but they came back.
30. Chinese Demand CooledA prolonged slump in Chinese domestic demand and real estate lowered Asia's export outlook. Clients who bought raw materials cut orders, and domestic consumption turned cautious as well.
31. Year 1 closeRevenue $322,190, operating profit $48,215. Cash $27,853.
32. 2027 · year 2 beginsA Celebrity Came In · Global Energy Prices Surged
33. 8/8 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
34. 8/22 · FamilyAt dinner nobody brought up work. You understood that was a kindness.
35. 8/10 · Loan rate went upThe variable-rate loan followed the central bank up. Monthly payments rose by $14.
36. 9/11 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
37. 9/18 · The bank asked for documentsYour bank contact changed. The new one asked for the past year’s statements again.
38. 10/7 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
39. How to handle the bad reviewsSend a cease-and-desist letter — The accounts that received the cease-and-desist letter went quiet. It felt less like winning than like spending money and time on a fight.
40. 11/13 · A competitor made a moveA shop in your line opened across the street. A big grand-opening discount banner went up.
41. 11/19 · The rush before the long holidayOrders rose ahead of the long holiday. Delivery and stock both became tight at once.
42. A gap opened in the rotaMake an urgent replacement hire — You hired the person who laughed most in the interview. Customers learned their name before you did.
43. 12/5 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
44. 12/11 · More regularsThe same customer came three times this week. “I don’t go anywhere else,” they said.
45. 1/8 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
46. 1/28 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $126 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
47. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of the bank you called suppliers and asked for a month’s grace. Two said yes, one said no.
48. 2/4 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
49. 3/19 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,529 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $105,412.
50. 4/7 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
51. 4/29 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
52. “There was something in my food. Pay up.”Pay and make it go away — Having taken the envelope, the customer left five stars. Somehow that felt worse.
53. 5/21 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 8%. You redid your prices.
54. 6/7 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
55. 6/22 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
56. 7/16 · A family emergencyThe school called about your child. You left the work in other hands and rushed over.
57. 7/25 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
58. Someone else has quitDefer for free — For now the people left will cover it. The day got longer by one person.
59. A Celebrity Came InA celebrity posted a photo. The next day a line formed before opening. You are pleased, and at the same time you are calculating how long the line will last.
60. Global Energy Prices SurgedTension in the Middle East pushed international crude prices up. Ships loaded with oil could not pass, and freight and packaging costs rose with them. A war in the news became a number on next month's cost sheet.
61. Year 2 closeRevenue $430,977, operating profit $60,553. Cash $25,707.
62. 2028 · year 3 beginsThe Supply Chain Broke · The Neighborhood Is Changing
63. 8/11 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 30% off. A few regulars went there.
64. 8/21 · Building repairsThe landlord said the pipes need repair and asked you to cut opening hours for two days.
65. 9/14 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
66. 10/19 · The bank asked for documentsYour bank contact changed. The new one asked for the past year’s statements again.
67. Raise the service standardDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
68. 11/11 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
69. 12/5 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
70. 12/25 · Hygiene inspection noticeWord went round that a shop on your street was fined at inspection. You redid the kitchen cleaning rota.
71. You are short of moneyHold on — You closed the loan papers. Instead you cancelled subscriptions, cut what you could do without and pushed the next payment date. Holding on is also a decision.
72. 2/12 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
73. 2/19 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
74. 3/16 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
75. 4/12 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
76. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of a loan you opened the household budget. No more eating out; repairs that could wait, waited. Holding on needed a plan too.
77. 5/27 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
78. 6/19 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
79. 7/5 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 5.90%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
80. 7/11 · A competitor made a moveA shop in your line opened across the street. A big grand-opening discount banner went up.
81. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
82. The Supply Chain BrokeDeliveries of what you ordered slipped by two months, and the alternative supplier quoted 20% more. Not holding inventory became a weakness this time.
83. The Neighborhood Is ChangingA redevelopment notice went up. In six months, half of this street will be a construction site. Rent may be cheaper for a while, but customers will not come.
84. Year 3 closeRevenue $344,326, operating profit $52,229. Cash $14,262.
85. 2029 · year 4 beginsWord Spread
86. 8/3 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
87. 8/7 · Supplier price increaseThe delivery driver said a freight charge starts next week. In effect, a 9% rise.
88. 8/2 · Loan rate came downThe variable-rate loan followed the central bank down. Monthly payments fell by $17.
89. 9/15 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
90. 9/17 · The bank asked for documentsThe bank asked for revenue evidence and the business plan again. One line said they would review whether the existing limit can be maintained.
91. 10/27 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
92. Staffing up before peak seasonDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
93. 11/14 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
94. 11/20 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
95. 12/14 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
96. 12/25 · Building repairsWater leaked from upstairs. You and the landlord argued over who pays for the stain on the ceiling.
97. One pair of hands short at the rushMake an urgent replacement hire — There were a few mistakes in the first week. From the second week you had time to rest.
98. 1/4 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,513 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $86,742.
99. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of the bank you called suppliers and asked for a month’s grace. Two said yes, one said no.
100. 2/9 · Hygiene inspection noticeA hygiene inspection notice arrived from the health department. You started with the fridge temperature log.
101. 3/3 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 5.78%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
102. 3/24 · Your mentorLunch with an old mentor. “Forget the numbers. Are you sleeping?”
103. 4/29 · FamilyYour family packed you lunch. The note said, “Eat properly.”
104. You are short of moneyHold on — You closed the loan papers. Instead you cancelled subscriptions, cut what you could do without and pushed the next payment date. Holding on is also a decision.
105. 5/13 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
106. 5/27 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
107. 6/25 · More regularsYou now know more than ten customers by name, and you catch yourself asking, “The usual?”
108. 7/3 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
109. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
110. Word SpreadA post appeared in a local community: "This place is actually good." Customers arrive without reservations and wait at the door. Good word travels faster than advertising, and bad word travels faster still.
111. Year 4 closeRevenue $347,472, operating profit $64,126. Cash $11,949.
112. 2030 · year 5 beginsThe Tech Investment Cycle Came Back
113. 8/11 · Hygiene inspection noticeWord went round that a shop on your street was fined at inspection. You redid the kitchen cleaning rota.
114. 8/20 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
115. 9/3 · Supplier price increaseThe delivery driver said a freight charge starts next week. In effect, a 7% rise.
116. 9/11 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 30% off. A few regulars went there.
117. 10/23 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
118. “We just need your name on it”Send them away — They left a card: “Call if you change your mind.” There was no company name on it.
119. 11/6 · The rush before the long holidayOrders rose ahead of the long holiday. Delivery and stock both became tight at once.
120. 12/12 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 6.49%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
121. 1/9 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,506 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $75,172.
122. Do you raise prices?Hold prices — The price tags stayed. The account got thinner, but the regulars stayed. You decided to believe that was right.
123. 2/25 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
124. 3/22 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
125. 4/25 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
126. Someone else has quitMake an urgent replacement hire — You hired the person who laughed most in the interview. Customers learned their name before you did.
127. 5/16 · Your mentorLunch with an old mentor. “Forget the numbers. Are you sleeping?”
128. 5/23 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
129. 7/10 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
130. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
131. The Tech Investment Cycle Came BackSpending on AI infrastructure and software increased, and chip and IT export figures improved. Even with recession talk everywhere, only technology budgets were moving in another direction.
132. Year 5 closeRevenue $378,404, operating profit $75,792. Cash $19,221.
133. 2031 · year 6 beginsIngredient Prices Rose
134. 8/20 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
135. 8/28 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
136. The lease is upSign on those terms — You signed. The regulars, none the wiser, came in as usual.
137. 9/6 · Equipment stoppedThe fridge stopped during the afternoon rush. You threw out part of the stock and called a repair technician.
138. 10/21 · A small price riseEvery day there are more customers than you can take. You raised prices 5% and they kept coming.
139. The competitor cut pricesCompete on quality — Customers came for the price and stayed for the quality. It took three months for that difference to reach revenue.
140. 11/5 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
141. 11/14 · The bank asked for documentsThe loan extension paperwork arrived: financial statements and copies of the sales tax returns, please.
142. One pair of hands short at the rushMake an urgent replacement hire — A new colleague joined. Work is shared, but payroll and onboarding are now recurring responsibilities.
143. 12/3 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 8%. You redid your prices.
144. 12/19 · More regularsA regular brought a coworker. “I’ve told everyone about this place.”
145. 1/23 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
146. Do you open a second location?Join a franchise — You got support from headquarters. Opening was faster, and the margin got thinner.
147. 2/13 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
148. 2/16 · The health inspector shows up unannouncedThey checked the temperature logs and labels one by one. Two findings, no fine. Half a day disappeared.
149. 3/15 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
150. 4/29 · Building repairsWater leaked from upstairs. You and the landlord argued over who pays for the stain on the ceiling.
151. 4/30 · The tax went unpaidOn the due date the account was empty. $2,260 went into arrears with a late penalty. It has to be paid as soon as money comes in.
152. 4/23 · The tax went unpaidOn the due date the account was empty. $1,069 went into arrears with a late penalty. It has to be paid as soon as money comes in.
153. Tax in arrearsPay what you can — You emptied the account into it. Less owed, nothing left.
154. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of a loan you opened the household budget. No more eating out; repairs that could wait, waited. Holding on needed a plan too.
155. 5/13 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
156. 5/23 · A competitor made a moveThe shop directly opposite started 10% off. A few regulars went there.
157. Cash ran outAsk the landlord to wait — The landlord said, "This once." Ask again next month and the answer will be different.
158. 6/4 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,498 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $57,019.
159. Tax in arrearsApply for instalments — Approved. $560 a month from now on.
160. 7/18 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
161. 7/25 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
162. 7/9 · The tax went unpaidOn the due date the account was empty. $8,327 went into arrears, with a late penalty, and your credit grade dropped a notch.
163. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of the bank you called suppliers and asked for a month’s grace. Two said yes, one said no.
164. Ingredient Prices RoseWholesale prices went up. The same stock now costs 7% more. Raise the price and customers leave; leave it and nothing is left.
165. Year 6 closeRevenue $405,681, operating profit $57,773. Cash $7,064.
166. 2032 · year 7 beginsUS Rates Rose Again
167. 8/6 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
168. 8/7 · Funding costs rose againThe US 10-year yield rose to 7.12%. The bank is taking another look at your loan terms.
169. 9/3 · The bank asked for documentsThe loan extension paperwork arrived: financial statements and copies of the sales tax returns, please.
170. 9/28 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
171. 10/4 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
172. 10/8 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 8% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
173. You are short of moneyHold on — You closed the loan papers. Instead you cancelled subscriptions, cut what you could do without and pushed the next payment date. Holding on is also a decision.
174. 11/7 · Your mentorYour mentor sent a link to an article. “This sounded like you.”
175. 12/7 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
176. 12/25 · FamilyYou talked with your family for a long time. Someone said, “You come before the money.”
177. 1/5 · Card terminal outageThe card terminal died at the busiest hour. You served only customers paying cash.
178. 1/27 · More regularsYou now know more than ten customers by name, and you catch yourself asking, “The usual?”
179. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of a loan you opened the household budget. No more eating out; repairs that could wait, waited. Holding on needed a plan too.
180. 2/4 · Loan payment dayLoan payment day. $1,491 in principal and interest left the account. The balance is $47,716.
181. Tax in arrearsApply for instalments — Turned down: this is not the first time you fell behind.
182. 3/5 · Heavy rainHeavy rain cut the foot traffic to nothing. Two reservations cancelled.
183. Tax in arrearsPay what you can — You emptied the account into it. Less owed, nothing left.
184. 4/11 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
185. Demand is outrunning the teamDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
186. 5/11 · Street festivalA festival opened nearby. Foot traffic doubled.
187. 5/18 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The big store down the road pays more an hour.
188. Someone else has quitDefer for free — No ad went up. You took over closing yourself.
189. 6/12 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
190. 7/19 · Records requested by the tax officeIRS requested records for credit card sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
191. You are short of moneyHold on — Instead of the bank you called suppliers and asked for a month’s grace. Two said yes, one said no.
192. US Rates Rose AgainSignals of Fed tightening strengthened the dollar, and this country's funding rates followed. When the USD rate jumped, costing got complicated again for anyone buying imported ingredients or parts.
193. Year 7 closeRevenue $396,673, operating profit $76,304. Cash $9,071.

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