Abstract:
It has been some time since the "Rodja War" ended, but the haze hanging over Xibei still doesn't seem to have completely dissipated. On September 4, Sina's "BUG" column reported that a number of Xibei's resigned employees reported to it that the company's 2025 year-end bonus, severance compensation, and share repurchase funds were not paid as agreed in the original agreement.
An employee revealed that Xibei founder Jia Guolong once held an online meeting for resigning employees. “He said that he believed that the company could recover, but he could not pay in time now and would have to wait until 2028 to pay.”
In fact, Xibei is indeed facing certain difficulties due to the previous crisis of prepared dishes. Jia Guolong once revealed that from September 2025 to March 2026, Xibei’s cumulative losses are expected to exceed 600 million yuan.
In order to "fight for survival", Xibei cut off his wrist to save himself while "starting over again" to find a way out.
In January this year, it was rumored that Xibei would close 102 stores across the country. Later, Jia Guolong confirmed the news in WeChat Moments. According to Jihai Brand Monitoring, as of September 5, Xibei had only 230 operating stores, a decrease of more than 160 stores before the crisis broke out.
At the same time, in March and August this year, Xibei also hatched two new brands - "Tianbian Claypot Braised Noodles" and "Tianbian Yangduo".
The relevant person in charge of the "Tianbian" brand said that the three business formats are likely to coexist for a long time in the future.As the pre-made dish controversy came to an end, Jia Guolong gradually retreated behind the scenes. According to 36Kr, before the Spring Festival, Jia Guolong resigned as CEO of Xibei’s main brand, and former CEO Dong Junyi returned to the position. As for the management of the new brand, Jia Guolong also gave full responsibility to the young team.
Employee severance compensation will be postponed until the next year, Jia Guolong: "We must believe that the company can recover"
In September last year, regarding the controversy over prepared dishes, Xibei founders Jia Guolong and Luo Yonghao started a "war of words" that aroused the attention of the entire Internet.
After the incident ended, Xibei was revealed to have started large-scale personnel adjustments in February this year. According to Sina's "BUG" column, at that time, Xibei and its employees agreed that during the period when store cash flow was negative in 2026, the company would implement a salary delay policy.
Among them, 50% will be paid for monthly salary of more than 20,000 yuan, 80% for monthly salary of 10,000 to 20,000 yuan, and full payment for monthly salary of 10,000 yuan and below. The payment of February wages will begin on March 10, and the delayed salary portion will be made up within three months of July, August, and September.
At the same time, the company's 2025 year-end bonus will be postponed to July 10, 2026, and interest will be calculated at an annual rate of 6%.
In addition, the agreement also stipulates that if the employee accepts the dismissal, Xibei will pay compensation in installments, 20% in the next month, 30% in the sixth month, and 50% before the end of 2026; the compensation can also be converted into shares, calculated at twice the compensation.
If you refuse to be dismissed, you can choose to stay without pay for 3 to 6 months. The company will pay the social security provident fund at the minimum base, and decide whether to return to work after the business develops normally.
Regarding resignation and withdrawal of shares, the agreement stipulates that the equity repurchase funds can be converted into company loans, and will be paid in installments according to the plan of 20% in the next month, 30% in the sixth month, and 50% before the end of 2026, and interest will be paid according to the company's borrowing policy.
However, recently, many resigned employees of Xibei reported to Sina's "BUG" column that the company's 2025 year-end bonus, severance compensation, and share repurchase funds were not paid as agreed in the original agreement.
According to the "BUG" column, Xibei notified employees at the end of July to make changes to the aforementioned agreement. The 2025 year-end bonus was adjusted to be paid in five installments of 20% each time before the end of this year. If there is an interest agreement, the original agreement will be implemented before July 1, and the annual interest rate will be 8% after that.
Part of the unpaid severance compensation will be calculated at an annual rate of 8% starting from July 1, 15% will be paid in the first half of 2027, 15% will be paid in the second half of the year, 25% will be paid in the first half of 2028, and 25% will be paid in the second half.
Part of the unpaid equity transfer price will also accrue interest at an annual rate of 8% starting from July 1, and will be paid in installments before the end of 2028 based on business recovery.
Some employees revealed that before the agreement was changed, Jia Guolong held an online meeting for the resigning employees. "He said that he believed that the company could recover, but he could not pay in time now and would have to wait until 2028 to pay."
The left hand "cut off the wrist" to save itself, and the right hand "started anew"
In fact, Xibei’s vitality was seriously damaged by the uproar over the pre-made dishes.
In an interview with Shanghai Securities News at the beginning of the year, Jia Guolong revealed that from September 2025 to March 2026, Xibei is expected to have a cumulative loss of more than 600 million yuan.
Under severe performance pressure, Jia Guolong chose to "cut off his wrist" to reduce costs. In January this year, a copy of Xibei’s internal meeting information and store closure list circulated online showed that Xibei would close 102 stores across the country at one time, accounting for about 30% of its total stores, involving a total of about 4,000 employees.
Subsequently, Jia Guolong posted a long post on WeChat Moments, confirming that the news of the store closures was true, and said, "The 102 stores that have been closed this time have been completed in the first quarter, and all employees who had to leave will not lose a penny in salary."
Jihai brand monitoring data shows that in the past 90 days, Xibei has opened 0 new stores and opened 22 new stores. As of September 5, Xibei has only 230 operating stores.
Before the crisis broke out in September last year, Xibei once had 397 stores across the country. In one year, the number of its stores has been reduced by more than 160.
When Xibei's main brand was cut off, Jia Guolong also "started over again" to explore new ways out. According to Shangguan News, in March this year, the first store of Jia Guolong’s new brand “Tianbian Claypot Braised Noodles” opened in Beijing’s 798 Park, and then successively opened in Hohhot, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and other cities.
Narrow-door restaurant data shows that as of August 16, the brand had a total of 32 operating stores, with per capita consumption of 50.77 yuan. Among them, more than 60% of the stores are concentrated in Inner Mongolia (9 stores), Shanghai (7 stores), and Beijing (6 stores).
In the plan previously revealed by Jia Guolong, "Tianbian Claypot Braised Noodles" is not a simple Xibeizi brand, but a completely independent brand.
Jia Guolong said that in the future, some Xibei stores that have been closed may be converted into "Tianbian Clay Pot Noodles" through upgrading and renovation.
This idea of "closing a batch, transferring a batch, and keeping a batch" is actually Xibei's rearrangement at the brand matrix level, using a lighter, more focused, and more affordable casserole noodle business to replace some of the old Xibei stores with high costs and heavier models.
Radar Finance noticed that not long after the launch of "Tianbian Claypot Braised Noodles", in August this year, Xibei created another new brand "Tianbian Yangduo" to enter the fresh sheep cuisine track.
On August 7, the first store of "Tianbian Yangduo" officially opened its doors in Beijing Fengke Wanda. According to Beijing Business Daily, the store was renovated from the original "Tianbian Claypot Braised Noodles". Its dishes include two main lines of fresh grassland lamb meat and fresh lamb skewers. It also sells cold dishes, juices, stir-fried vegetables, noodles, dairy products and other products.
However, according to the relevant person in charge of the "Tianbian" brand, the exploration of this new business is not due to "the noodle operation did not meet expectations."
The person in charge emphasized that Fresh Sheep is an independent exploration in parallel with Xibei’s main brand and Tianbian Braised Noodles. In the future, the three business formats are likely to coexist for a long time.
Retreating behind the scenes, Jia Guolong "delegates power"
Looking back on the prefabricated dish controversy that caused a commotion in the city, it not only changed the fate of Xibei, but also affected the business methods of founder Jia Guolong to a certain extent.
In 2002, Jia Guolong opened the first Xibei Noodle Village in Liuliqiao, Beijing. Under his leadership, Xibei grew bigger and bigger. In 2023, Xibei Catering Group's overall revenue exceeded 6.2 billion yuan, a record high.
Xibei's great success made Jia Guolong confident and confident in his decision-making. According to "Chinese Entrepreneur", he has said many times, "I am a high-level restaurant owner."
At the same time, as the founder and major shareholder, Jia Guolong has absolute say in Xibei. The highly concentrated ownership structure further aggravates the company's "one word" situation. In this regard, Jia Guolong once said frankly, "No one can restrain me now."
In the end, this "hidden thunder" completely erupted in the Xibei prefabricated dish controversy. Jia Guolong's several statements not only failed to change the direction of public opinion, but instead plunged the company into an increasingly deep public relations crisis.
In August this year, Wu Jialu, the head of public relations of Luo Yonghao's team, said when reviewing the Xibei incident, "I also conveyed such a signal to the head of public relations in Xibei at that time. I said that Mr. Jia needs you to retaliate to the death, and you must stop him. So he did so, but unfortunately it was not achieved."
After paying a heavy price for the prepared dishes incident, Jia Guolong seemed to be aware of this problem. In an exclusive interview with Shanghai Securities News, Jia Guolong said that he would rather return to the front line to provide better services.
"Actually, I still have the ability to work on the front line. I can choose ingredients, compare them at various raw material bases, and choose which raw materials have better quality and lower cost. I can make good dishes. This is my pursuit."
In March this year, some media reported that Jia Guolong had resigned as CEO of Xibei’s main brand before the Spring Festival, and former CEO Dong Junyi returned to the position.
Radar Finance learned that Dong Junyi joined Xibei as early as 1992. He started as an apprentice and grew up to be a store manager, branch manager, and finally took on the important position of CEO of Xibei Division.
In addition, according to the Daily Economic News, Jia Guolong also retreated behind the scenes for the management of Xibei's new brand "Tianbian Sheangduo" and handed over full responsibility to a team with an average age of about "post-95s".
In the words of a team member, Jia Guolong "gave them enough space to explore" in the exploration of new businesses.
The relevant person in charge of the "Tianbian" brand revealed that after Jia Guolong determined the fresh sheep breeds and set the general direction of "fresh sheep" in the early stage, his team reported the menu structure setting, tableware selection, store space design, decoration style and other plans to Jia Guolong, and received the latter's support.
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