A beef noodles restaurant in Qingyang, Northwest China's Gansu Province sets up curtains for each table in a bid to block the droplet transmission of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, as catering businesses nationwide struggle to resume operations amid the campaign against the epidemic. Photo: cnsphoto

Wuhan-based food company Zhouheiya said about 1,000 branch stores around China have temporarily suspended business due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. 

A staff member with the company who requested anonymity told the Global Times by telephone that the move was taken in line with government policies and to ensure the health and safety of their staff and customers amid the epidemic.

Although the company's sales have plummeted, it is confident it will overcome its difficulties, as it has not yet closed the channels for franchise applications and the results are likely to be announced after the epidemic, the employee said. 

Known for its spicy duck snacks, Zhouheiya is regarded as one of the flagship food brands representing Wuhan and one of the top three duck-related snacks in China. According to the official website's introduction, Zhouheiya has more than 1,000 outlets around China, covering 90 cities in 17 provincial level regions and 22 major domestic e-commerce platforms.

According to its official information, the company owns three production centers in North China, Central China and South China. News site Caixin.com reported that due to the epidemic outbreak in Central China's Wuhan, Hubei Province, the company has focused more of its efforts on the other two production centers to ensure normal production.

China's food industry is facing a difficult time, as many food stores and restaurants announced suspension of business due to the outbreak of coronavirus pneumonia. 

Some analysts said that companies like Zhouheiya are actively undertaking their social responsibility, which will be hailed by people and result in subsidy by the government after the epidemic. 

The company announced on January 25 through a Weibo post that it had donated 10 million yuan ($1.44 million) to a local charity organization, providing financial support to purchase protective medical equipment to aid the fight against the epidemic.