Students are familiar with a specific type of Tuesday afternoon. No one wants to cook, classes end by two, and the library feels stuffy. Going out is suggested by someone in the group chat. Immediately, there is the customary discussion about cost. A screenshot of Haidilao’s student discount is then increasingly sent, and the discussion comes to an end.
Universities in the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries are witnessing this scene. Through targeted discount programs that vary by country but share the same basic logic—show a valid student ID, pay noticeably less—Haidilao, the Chinese hotpot chain known as much for its theatrical service and free snacks as for its food, has been quietly cultivating a devoted student following.
It is worthwhile to focus on the numbers themselves. Students can receive 22% off dishes at The O2 in London if they eat before 6 p.m. on weekdays; this discount drops to 12% on weekends and during peak hours. The percentage is 21% in Malaysia, and it is accessible Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday through Thursday after 10 p.m. During off-peak hours, Singapore has offered 31% off to university and polytechnic students. The Philippines uses a sliding scale based on the size of the group. Although these offers aren’t exactly the same, the goal appears to be the same: attract younger diners who might otherwise think Haidilao is too expensive.
It’s not just the discount that makes this noteworthy. The timing is the issue. Dining at Haidilao is a mid-to-premium experience. Before a single ingredient is added to the pot, the soup bases themselves are expensive. Even a 20% decrease in a shared meal can change Haidilao from “occasional treat” to “reasonable Thursday plan” for a student on a limited monthly budget. Brands don’t just happen to land there; it’s a significant change in perception.
The hours selected also have a clever quality. For the majority of restaurants, late-night hours and weekday afternoons are the slowest times. Tables are vacant. Employees are already working. Budget-conscious groups that spend two hours over a hotpot and order rounds of meat, tofu, and noodles in small batches are the ideal type of traffic to fill those seats without cannibalizing prime evening covers. It is both generous and useful.
The appeal goes beyond the cost to the students themselves. At its core, hotpot is a communal meal. It feels a little depressing if you eat it by yourself. The format, which involves selecting your broth, dipping sauces, and ingredients before spending an hour or more around the pot, is ideal for the kind of leisurely conversation that takes place between individuals who have just finished exams or are putting them off. These student groups aren’t visiting a quick-service counter for a reason. They wish to take a proper seat.
In this context, it’s difficult to overlook Haidilao’s reputation for its service culture. Theatrical birthday celebrations, complimentary snacks while you wait, and employees who arrive with hair ties if your order indicates you might need one all contribute to an experience that feels elevated even when the bill is lowered. That experience at a discounted price is genuinely hard to pass up for a student celebrating the end of a semester or simply seeking an excuse to get together.
As more locations open and operating expenses change, it’s still unclear how long-lasting or consistent these promotions will be. While some offers are ongoing, others have a time limit. Even within the same nation, the precise percentages can differ, sometimes dramatically. Before making plans for dinner, students should check the terms at their local branch.
However, there is a more general pattern that is not subtle. Haidilao is making investments in a group of people who are typically price-conscious now and devoted later. Offering students a 21% discount today is, at least partially, a calculated wager on what those same individuals will become when they stop looking for student discounts in five years.
