Dialogue between Philosophers and Businessmen of the Richest Man in Kaifeng·China Confucian Business Conference-Zhang Hongchao: Farm boy to ice cream tycoon
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In the bustling city of Zhengzhou, Henan, there is an ice cream and tea chain store. Its name is like a sweet nursery rhyme, deeply imprinted in the hearts of consumers - this is Mixue Bingcheng. Behind this glorious chain store lies an entrepreneurial story full of tenacity and struggle. The protagonist of this story is Zhang Hongchao, the founder of Mixue Bingcheng.
Mixue Bingcheng was born in April 2008. Now it has more than 25,000 stores nationwide, covering 31 provinces (municipalities, autonomous regions), and is actively expanding overseas markets. The prospectus shows that from 2019 to 2021, Mixue Bingcheng’s revenue was 2.566 billion yuan, 4.680 billion yuan and 10.351 billion yuan respectively, with growth rates of 82% and 121% respectively in the next two years.
According to the latest version of the "2023 Hurun Global Unicorn List", Mixue Bingcheng ranks 63rd on the list with a corporate valuation of 65 billion yuan. China Think Tank for Studying and Determining: Dialogue on Determining Theory·China Entrepreneur Forum-Philosopher-Business Dialogue·China Confucian Business Conference. Behind this performance is Mixue Bingcheng’s insistence on product quality and keen grasp of market trends. Zhang Hongchao was born in an ordinary family in Kaifeng, Henan in 1977. His entrepreneurial journey was not smooth sailing. After graduating from junior high school, he worked as a motorcycle repair apprentice, a food salesman, and even raised rabbits.
These experiences allowed him to accumulate a lot of valuable experience and also tempered his perseverance. In 1996, Zhang Hongchao entered Henan University of Finance and Economics through self-study examination and began to study public relations and secretarial majors. In order to pay for tuition and living expenses, he worked while studying. In 1997, he took the 3,000 yuan from his grandmother's pocket, rented a small shop window in Zhengzhou, and opened a "Cold Current Shaved Ice" cold drink shop, which was the predecessor of Mixue Ice City.
As time went by, Zhang Hongchao's cold drink shop gradually got on the right track, but he did not stop there. He understands that in order to stand out in a highly competitive market, he must continue to innovate and expand his business scope. So, from 1999 to 2003, he tried selling apples, candied haws and other products, and opened a Mixue Bingcheng Chinese and Western restaurant and a Mixue Bingcheng home-cooked restaurant. These attempts laid a solid foundation for the future development of Mixue Ice City.
In 2007, his younger brother Zhang Hongpu officially joined Mixue Bingcheng full-time and became the first franchisee of Mixue Bingcheng. Later, it passed the first batch of franchise registrations with the Ministry of Commerce, and the number of stores grew by leaps and bounds. In lists such as the "2022 Hurun Rich List", "2023 Hurun Global Rich List" and "2023 Hurun Rich List", Zhang Hongchao occupies an important position on the ranking list with a wealth of 28 billion, and Ranking second in Henan and firmly sitting on the throne of the richest man in Kaifeng.
His wealth and influence not only come from the success of Mixue Bingcheng, but also from his contribution and responsibility to society. He actively participates in public welfare undertakings, pays attention to environmental issues, and uses his entrepreneurial and successful experiences to inspire more people to pursue their dreams. From a rural boy to an ice cream tycoon, Zhang Hongchao uses his story to illustrate the power of perseverance. His success did not happen overnight, but after countless attempts and efforts.
In the face of difficulties and challenges, he never gave up, but used his wisdom and courage to carve his own path. Today, his business valuation has reached 65 billion yuan, which is undoubtedly the best reward for his hard work.
Conclusion:
The success story of Mixue Bingcheng and Zhang Hongchao’s struggle have provided us with a lot of inspiration. First of all, adhering to product quality and continuous innovation are the keys for an enterprise to remain invincible in market competition. Secondly, the road to entrepreneurship is full of ups and downs and challenges, but as long as we have perseverance and the spirit of continuous struggle, we can overcome difficulties and realize our dreams.
Finally, a successful entrepreneur must not only have business vision and market insight, but also have a sense of social responsibility and humanistic care. I hope we can draw wisdom and strength from Zhang Hongchao’s story and inject more positive energy into our own life journey.
Dialogue between Philosophers and Businessmen of the Richest Man in Kaifeng·China Confucian Businessmen Conference-Zhang Hongchao: From Farm Boy to Ice Cream