Core Insights - Douyin Life Service has expanded its "Heartfelt List" of restaurants for 2025 from 40 to 101 cities, featuring over 3,300 restaurants, with more than 1,000 new entries [1][2] - The focus has shifted from merely "delicious" food to a comprehensive "pleasant experience," with "atmosphere" becoming a key consumer consideration [1][2] - 67% of consumers rank "good atmosphere" among their top three factors for choosing a restaurant, with related content on Douyin seeing a 101% year-on-year increase [1][2] Industry Trends - The dining experience is evolving from the "taste era" to the "experience era," driven by emotional value, leading to four emerging trends: Eastern Aesthetics, Mountain Nature, Relaxed Fashion, and Future Vanguard [1][2] - Restaurants related to Eastern Aesthetics have seen video views exceed 4 billion, with order growth over 170% year-on-year; Mountain Nature restaurants have experienced a GMV growth of 102% [2] - The "Relaxed Fashion" category, targeting young social groups, has seen Douyin payment orders increase 15 times, while Future Vanguard restaurants marked with "tech style" and "cyberpunk" tags have seen order numbers grow by 131% [2] Heartfelt Index and Business Impact - The "Heartfelt Index" quantifies user preferences by integrating various engagement metrics, significantly reducing the decision-making cost for users when selecting restaurants [2][3] - Restaurants featured on the Heartfelt List have experienced an overall sales growth of 30%, with those focusing on atmosphere and emotional experiences converting user sentiment into data, leading to increased visibility and repeat purchases [2] - The Heartfelt List serves as a crucial link between content popularity, in-store conversion, and brand equity, fostering a closed-loop experience from discovery to consumption and sharing [3] Event and Strategic Goals - On September 23, Douyin Life Service and Xinhua Net launched the "Heartfelt List" restaurant event in Shanghai, aiming to provide differentiated dining guides and promote regional specialty restaurants nationwide [3] - The platform seeks to encourage users to dine out, thereby generating more business opportunities for the restaurant industry [3]