The number of diners at restaurants is rising gradually and the catering enterprises have reported increased business volumes, according to a survey on China's key catering businesses, carried out by the China's Cuisine Association.

The survey, which was disclosed here Tuesday, showed that the turnover of the surveyed catering enterprises dropped by 53 percent in May as compared with April and by 66.5 percent over the same period of last year.

However, the survey showed that in late May, the turnover and number of diners at the surveyed restaurants were 39 percent and 59 percent more than that for early May, and were 24 percent and 23 percent more than the middle of May.

The recovery of catering businesses is attributed to both the improved severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) situation in China and prompt, effective measures taken by enterprises to change their ways of operating and to better serve customers.

Moreover, the survey shows that most of the restaurants have adopted measures encouraging diners to eat separately by dishes and take food home. Many of the restaurants revised their menus to provide more nutritious foods instead of game foods.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2003)