Singapore Tongle Food and Beverage Group Founder, President and CEO Zhou Jiameng: The Window for Going Global Is Always Open, But It Increasingly Tests Corporate Capabilities

In recent years, Chinese cuisine going abroad has become increasingly popular, but competition is also fierce. Does this mean the window for international expansion has already closed?

On March 25th, the 2026 China Catering Industry Festival and the 35th HCC Global Catering Industry Expo, jointly organized by the World Chinese Catering Association and Hongcan.com, was held at the Hangzhou Convention and Exhibition Center. During the “2026 International Catering Exchange Forum” roundtable discussion, Zhou Jiameng, Vice President of the World Chinese Catering Association, founder, president, and CEO of Singapore Tongle Catering Group, shared his views.

△ Zhou Jiameng, Vice President of the World Chinese Catering Association, founder, president, and CEO of Singapore Tongle Catering Group

In his opinion, the window for going abroad is always open; it’s just becoming increasingly challenging for companies to stand firm and go far. Many brands decide to expand overseas to avoid the internal competition in the domestic market, but entering foreign markets is not as easy as it seems. Taking Singapore, where Tongle Catering Group is based, as an example, although there are many Chinese residents, they have their own cultural identity and communication patterns. Overseas catering companies need targeted research and breakthroughs.

This approach is also reflected in Tongle Catering Group’s actions in various overseas markets.

For the Chinese market, Zhou Jiameng admitted that because each city’s local preferences for flavors vary, the Chinese market has been one of the most difficult markets for the group to conquer. His solution is to base their offerings on a fusion of Chinese and Western styles—“New Chinese Cuisine.” When entering each city, they fully consider local tastes and make corresponding adjustments in seasoning and menus.

Zhou Jiameng is also very optimistic about the markets in the Philippines and Vietnam—both with populations over 100 million and economic growth rates between 6% and 7%. He believes these will be promising destinations for catering companies looking to expand abroad.

Author: Hongcan Editorial Team