'Feeling lonely'

"Most Chinese restaurants feel lonely. They don't know if it's the best way to do business in America or how to promote Asian food culture there," Duan said.

While discussing the global expansion of a restaurant chain, industry leaders emphasized the importance of understanding local markets, adapting to customer preferences and overcoming cultural barriers.

Zhao Yong, president of the Asian American Hospitality Alliance, highlighted the challenges facing Chinese cuisine in the US, describing the industry as being in a "red ocean" state — saturated with competition but lacking in cohesive strategy.

He said there are three main problems — low prices leading to a decline in quality, a lack of standardization and the use of cheap labor, which hinders the industry's growth and potential for public recognition.

"For example, a small US town with a population of 20,000 will soon have 10 Chinese restaurants there, more than McDonald's, but everyone is undercutting prices and prices can't go any lower. This has been the traditional expansion method for Chinese restaurants in the US that compete against each other," Zhao said.