Xibei faces bankruptcy rumors after losses, layoffs, and backlash from influencer criticism
Chinese restaurant chain Xibei has lost over 600 million yuan from September 2025 to March 2026, closed 102 stores (about 30% of its total), and laid off over 4,000 employees after a public controversy over pre-made dishes. Founder Jia Guolong's aggressive response to criticism from tech entrepreneur Luo Yonghao backfired when a kitchen tour revealed frozen ingredients. Influencer Li Ji blamed Luo for the collapse, sparking online debate. Xibei denies imminent bankruptcy but acknowledges struggling to survive.
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Xibei Closure Blame Sparks Controversy: Influencer 'Liji' Blasts Luo Yonghao, Says He Bears Full Responsibility
On September 20, prominent Chinese social media influencer 'Liji' published a series of posts attacking entrepreneur Luo Yonghao, blaming him entirely for the impending collapse of restaurant chain Xibei. Liji accused Luo of destroying a good company for profit and threatening to expose Luo's background if his account is banned. The article traces the crisis to September 2025, when Luo publicly criticized Xibei for serving expensive pre-made meals. Founder Jia Guolong responded defiantly, claiming '100% no pre-made dishes' and threatening to sue, escalating the dispute. A subsequent live tour of Xibei's kitchens revealed frozen ingredients with long shelf lives, shattering consumer trust. From September 2025 to March 2026, Xibei accumulated losses exceeding 600 million yuan, closed 102 stores, and deferred compensation for 4,000 laid-off employees until 2028. The company denies rumors of imminent bankruptcy but admits it is struggling to survive. Many netizens rejected Liji's claims, attributing the downfall to Jia's own mismanagement.
Read sourceInfluencer Li Ji Blames Luo Yonghao for Xibei's Collapse, Sparking Online Debate
On September 20, 2025, prominent Chinese social media influencer 'Li Ji' published a series of posts on Weibo blaming tech entrepreneur Luo Yonghao for the impending collapse of restaurant chain Xibei. Li Ji accused Luo of destroying the company through a public complaint about its use of pre-made dishes (prepared food), which triggered a crisis. The article details that in September 2025, Luo Yonghao criticized Xibei for serving expensive pre-made food, undermining its brand promise of fresh cooking. Founder Jia Guolong responded defiantly, claiming '100% no pre-made dishes' and threatening to sue, escalating the dispute. A subsequent live tour of Xibei's kitchens revealed frozen ingredients with long shelf lives, destroying consumer trust. From September 2025 to March 2026, Xibei lost over 600 million yuan and closed 102 stores. Li Ji threatened Luo Yonghao with exposure of personal connections, but many netizens rejected his claims, attributing the crisis to Jia Guolong's poor public relations strategy. Xibei has denied rumors of imminent bankruptcy but acknowledged it is struggling to survive.
Read sourceInfluencer Li Ji Blames Luo Yonghao for Xibei's Collapse, Sparking Online Debate
On September 20, Chinese social media influencer 'Li Ji' published a series of posts blaming entrepreneur Luo Yonghao for the collapse of restaurant chain Xibei, accusing him of destroying the company for personal profit. The controversy stems from Luo's September 2025 public criticism of Xibei's use of pre-made dishes (prepared food) at high prices. Founder Jia Guolong responded defiantly, claiming '100% no pre-made dishes' and threatening to sue, which escalated the issue. Xibei's subsequent attempt to prove its cooking authenticity by opening kitchens to media backfired when reporters found frozen vegetables with 18-24 month shelf lives. The crisis led to over 600 million yuan in losses from September 2025 to March 2026, closure of 102 stores, and delayed compensation for 4,000 employees. Li Ji threatened to expose Luo's alleged connections, mentioning 'the husband of my niece' and 'Feng Tang' as hints. Many netizens rejected Li Ji's claims, noting that Xibei's own poor crisis management was responsible. Xibei denies imminent bankruptcy but acknowledges struggling to survive.
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Influencer 'Liji' Blames Luo Yonghao for Xibei's Collapse, Threatens to Expose Him
On September 20, 2025, prominent Chinese social media influencer 'Liji' published a series of posts on Weibo blaming tech entrepreneur Luo Yonghao for the impending collapse of the restaurant chain Xibei. Liji accused Luo of destroying the company with a single critical comment about its use of pre-made dishes (预制菜), leading to a public relations crisis that caused massive losses. Liji threatened to expose Luo's alleged connections to powerful figures, including a cryptic reference to 'the husband of my niece' and author Feng Tang, if his account is banned. The article details that Xibei's founder, Jia Guolong, escalated the situation by denying the claims and suing Luo, which backfired when a live kitchen tour revealed long-shelf-life frozen ingredients. From September 2025 to March 2026, Xibei lost over 600 million yuan and closed 102 stores. The company is now in a difficult self-rescue phase, with rumors of bankruptcy denied by officials. Many online users disagree with Liji's attribution of full responsibility to Luo.
Read sourceInfluencer 'Li Ji' Blames Luo Yonghao for Xibei's Collapse, Threatens to Expose Him
On September 20, influential Chinese social media personality 'Li Ji' published a series of posts on Weibo blaming tech entrepreneur Luo Yonghao for the impending collapse of restaurant chain Xibei. Li Ji accused Luo of destroying Xibei through a public complaint about its use of pre-made dishes, and threatened to expose Luo's alleged connections to powerful figures, including a cryptic reference to 'Feng Tang.' The article notes that Xibei's crisis began in September 2025 when Luo criticized the chain for serving expensive pre-made food. Founder Jia Guolong responded defiantly, claiming '100% no pre-made dishes' and threatening to sue, which escalated the controversy. A subsequent live tour of Xibei's kitchens revealed frozen ingredients with long shelf lives, destroying consumer trust. From September 2025 to March 2026, Xibei lost over 600 million yuan and closed 102 stores. The company is now reportedly in dire financial straits, with plans to delay severance payments to 4,000 laid-off employees until 2028 and spinning off new brands, which critics call asset stripping. Xibei has denied imminent bankruptcy but admits it is struggling to survive.
Read sourceXiBei Closure Blame Sparks Controversy; Blogger 'Liji' Blames Luo Yonghao, Threatens to Expose Him
On September 20, prominent Chinese blogger 'Liji' published a series of posts on Weibo blaming Luo Yonghao for the impending collapse of the restaurant chain XiBei. Liji accused Luo of destroying XiBei's reputation after Luo publicly criticized XiBei for using pre-made dishes (prepared food) while charging high prices. Liji claimed Luo's actions led to a chain of events that caused XiBei's financial ruin, including a failed PR response by founder Jia Guolong, a disastrous kitchen tour that revealed frozen ingredients, and a subsequent loss of customer trust. Liji threatened to expose Luo's personal connections, including a reference to 'Feng Tang,' if Luo retaliated. The article notes that many netizens disagree with Liji's assessment, attributing XiBei's crisis to Jia Guolong's own 'suicidal' PR strategy. XiBei has denied rumors of imminent closure but acknowledged it is in a difficult self-rescue phase, having closed 102 stores and accumulated losses of over 600 million yuan.
Read sourceXibei Denies Bankruptcy Rumors After Losing 600 Million Yuan in Six Months
An article from NetEase Finance reports on a viral rumor that Chinese restaurant chain Xibei (Xibei Youmiancun) will 'completely go bankrupt' in two to three months. The rumor, posted by a Weibo influencer, claims founder Jia Guolong will take on most debt and leave profitable stores to employee self-management. Jia reportedly told the influencer he was 'shocked' by the claim, while Xibei customer service denied it, stating all stores operate normally. The article traces Xibei's decline to a 2023 controversy when tech entrepreneur Luo Yonghao criticized Xibei's use of pre-made dishes (prepared food). Jia's aggressive response and a subsequent kitchen tour backfired, damaging the brand's reputation. The article states Xibei lost 600 million yuan in six months, closed 102 stores, and laid off over 4,000 employees. Its valuation reportedly fell from 10 billion yuan to 1 billion yuan, with only 226 stores remaining. The author questions whether Jia can exit gracefully, noting his wife's shares are fully pledged to a bank and employee severance payments have been delayed.
Read sourceRumor of Xibei's Impending Bankruptcy Tops Chinese Social Media; Company Denies Claims
On September 19, a rumor that Chinese restaurant chain Xibei (Xibei Youmiancun) would completely go bankrupt within two to three months topped the trending searches on Weibo. The rumor, posted by blogger 'Liji', claimed founder Jia Guolong would personally assume most debt, give up shares, and retain only about 100 profitable stores for employee self-operation, with over 10,000 employees already laid off and more than 200 stores closed. Xibei's customer service responded that all stores nationwide are operating normally and urged the public to view online information rationally. A reporter's on-site visit on September 17 found that a Beijing store of Jia's new brand 'Tianbian Sandpot Braised Noodles' had closed, though the company said it was a single-store adjustment and other stores are operating normally. The article notes that Xibei faced a 'prepared food controversy' in September 2025, which Jia called the company's biggest external crisis, leading to a sharp drop in customer traffic. Jia revealed that Xibei accumulated losses of over 600 million yuan from September 2025 to March 2026, and closed 102 stores (about 30% of total) in the first quarter of 2026. As of September 10, Xibei had 226 stores nationwide.
Read sourceXibei faces bankruptcy rumors after losses, layoffs, and backlash from influencer criticism
A detailed analysis by NetEase Finance examines the potential collapse of Xibei, a major Chinese restaurant chain. The article reports that a microblog influencer 'Liji' claimed Xibei will go bankrupt within two to three months, citing over 200 store closures and more than 10,000 layoffs. Xibei's customer service denied the claim, stating normal operations. However, public data shows cumulative losses exceeding 600 million yuan from September 2025 to March 2026, and founder Jia Guolong confirmed closing 102 stores in January 2026. The article attributes the crisis to a combination of factors: a public feud with influencer Luo Yonghao over pre-made food accusations, poor crisis management by Jia, and financial strain. It details impacts on employees (delayed compensation), suppliers (reduced orders), and consumers (prepaid card risks). The piece also discusses Luo Yonghao's ongoing conflicts with former partners and investors, and broader implications of influencer power over businesses, citing a People's Daily commentary on 'flow power'.
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