Mr. Mo, 62 years old, a former traditional Chinese medicine doctor, opened a medicinal chicken hotpot restaurant in Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province. Initially, the eatery served about ten tables of regular customers daily. In early April, customer numbers soared to 200 tables, or approximately 3,000 people daily, after a social media influencer visited.

Mr. Mo is surrounded by customers after gaining online fame. Photo: Xkb

Mr. Mo is surrounded by customers after gaining online fame. Photo: Xkb

The surge in customers turned the family's routine upside down. Previously, Mr. Mo went to bed at 11 p.m., woke at 5 a.m. for Tai Chi, and enjoyed karaoke in the evenings. Now, he cleans until 1-2 a.m. Only sleeping three hours daily caused his lower back pain to recur. On 13/4, he went to the hospital for anti-inflammatory injections due to a swollen throat.

Mo's children had to set aside their personal work to help at the restaurant. His daughter was responsible for distributing queue numbers from 6 a.m. but had to take leave after fainting. His son continuously chopped chicken, causing his hands to swell and requiring pain relief patches. A server named Chen stated that an ordinary person could not last beyond the second day with the work intensity there.

Mo estimated the restaurant's daily profit to be a maximum of 5,000 yuan (approximately 700 USD). Noticing his declining health, he posted warnings that the food could cause diarrhea and criticized his own frozen chicken as not tasty.

An AI-generated image of an exhausted Mr. Mo, created by Chinese internet users.

On 10/4, he decided to post his entire chicken hotpot recipe and secrets online for customers to make at home. The recipe included seven medicinal ingredients: five-finger fig root, sarsaparilla root, poria cocos, dried tangerine peel, ginger, soybeans, and red dates, along with instructions for seasonal adjustments. "I'm not afraid of others imitating it; I'm only afraid of more customers coming," he stated. For the upcoming 1/5 holiday, he announced the restaurant would close for three days so his family could get a full rest.

To support Mo's family, Shunde's culture and tourism authorities intervened to "rescue" the eatery, affirming that Mo was not forced to stay open. The local F&B association sent experienced chefs to help prepare chicken, coordinating with vocational students volunteering their time.

The restaurant currently limits queues to 100 numbers for lunch and 100 numbers for dinner. Authorities also placed maps outside the entrance to redirect customers to nearby restaurants.

Bao Nhien (According to Jimu News, World Journal)