19-year-old teen in China makes $9,000 a month selling fried rice — in a suit

A teenager in China has caught the attention of netizens by selling fried rice while dressed in a suit, reportedly making up to 50,000 yuan (S$9,400) a month. 

The 19-year-old seller, surnamed Lu, has been running the stall in Yantai, Shandong province since the age of 17 and is now the backbone of his family, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).  

His father helps prepare the ingredients while he is responsible for frying the rice, Lu said in an interview with local media platform Haibao News on Saturday (May 9). 

Lu said the suit was to look more presentable and add "a touch of romance to everyday life". But he didn't expect customers to be so enthusiastic about the look. 

He added that while customers may buy the fried rice out of curiosity, what kept them coming back was the taste. 

@asiaone Lu has been running the stall since he was 17 and is now the backbone of his family. He sets up at 5am and works till 11.30pm daily, selling around 200 servings of fried rice a day. #chinanews #china #viral #fashion #food ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Lu sets up his stall at 5am and works till 11.30pm daily, with few breaks, churning out a serving of fried rice every three minutes on average during peak periods.

He reportedly sells at least 200 servings a day, priced at 10 yuan each, with a profit margin of about 50 per cent after deducting costs.

Under the comments section of a video posted on Weibo of Lu working, one netizen asked: "If you add in preparation time, can he even sleep three hours?" 

Another commented: "Success on the surface comes from hard work behind the scenes."

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esther.lam@asiaone.com