On-the-ground investigation of Jia Guolong's new restaurant specializing in braised noodles: operated by an independent team, the manager states an average spending of around 40 yuan per person | Dayu Finance

Ask AI · How does Jia Guolong’s new project test the lightweight dining model?

Founder of Xibei, Jia Guolong’s new catering project “Tianbian Clay Pot Braised Noodles” recently opened its first store in Beijing’s 798 Art District. On March 19, a reporter from Xinhuanghe Dayu Finance visited and learned that the brand is currently operated by an independent team and not sharing the same operation system as the main Xibei brand. In terms of store positioning, this new project clearly aims to differentiate itself from Xibei’s previous high-ticket dine-in model, shifting toward more restrained prices and more focused products in the mass dining sector.

On the afternoon of March 19, a reporter from Xinhuanghe Dayu Finance visited the “Tianbian Clay Pot Braised Noodles” store opposite Xiaoke Cinema in the 798 Art District. Although it was a rest period, customers still took taxis specifically to dine there. As the brand’s first store, it is not a traditional small street noodle shop but a larger two-story space of about 600 square meters. From the cleanliness, tableware display, to staff service standards, it still shows signs of Xibei’s consistent standardized management.

Compared to the long-standing impression of Xibei as a high-end restaurant focusing on beef, mutton, and oat noodles, “Tianbian Clay Pot Braised Noodles” has a more restrained product selection. The store’s ordering mini-program shows that the main categories are braised noodles, soup noodles, clay pot dishes, snacks, cold dishes, and marinated goods. For example, braised noodle dishes are mainly priced around 45 yuan, with the most expensive at 59 yuan, and the overall price range is quite concentrated.

The store manager told Xinhuanghe that the current per capita spending is about 40 yuan. If multiple people dine together and order different dishes, the per person cost could drop below 40 yuan. This pricing and customer flow structure indicate that the project aims to maintain a certain quality and dining experience while also controlling the consumption threshold. Compared to the relatively higher ticket prices associated with the main Xibei brand in consumers’ minds, this new project emphasizes more on mass appeal and everyday dining scenarios.

Operationally, the store also shows signs of distancing from the main brand. The manager explained that the staff includes both former Xibei employees and newly recruited personnel. All dishes, including hand-pulled noodles, braised dishes, and stir-fries, are made fresh on-site, and the store adopts an open kitchen model, allowing customers to see the cooking process directly. He mentioned that the store is still in the exploration stage, and the entire team operates independently.

This statement is also confirmed by an insider close to Xibei. The person told Xinhuanghe Dayu Finance that the “Tianbian Clay Pot Braised Noodles” brand was founded by Jia Guolong and is currently operated by an independent team, not sharing the same operation system as Xibei’s main brand. Market feedback so far has been positive, with the new store gaining good popularity in the 798 Art District since opening.

Despite targeting a more mass-market fast-food category, the “Tianbian Clay Pot Braised Noodles” project has not completely cut costs in equipment and raw materials. For example, the store is equipped with the same type of steam oven as Xibei, costing about 50,000 yuan; it also displays three types of flour from the Hetao region, retailing at about 8 to 10 yuan per jin, which is significantly higher than private-label flour sold in supermarkets like Sam’s. This indicates that the project is not solely competing on price but is trying to balance “quality” and “cost performance.”

Some industry insiders analyzed to Xinhuanghe that although Jia Guolong’s new noodle shop is a fast-food concept, it offers a dining experience closer to a full-service restaurant. For example, the use of tablecloths, changed with each customer, is uncommon in typical fast-food outlets; additionally, with clay pot dishes as the core and several low-priced side dishes for pairing, the store provides more combination options, giving the customer a certain degree of flexibility in the ticket size, unlike traditional full-service brands where main dishes can easily push up the overall bill.

From the location perspective, the 798 Art District itself is a noteworthy variable for this project. Industry insiders believe that the current catering mix in 798 includes a high proportion of light meals and Western cuisine, while Chinese dishes like braised noodles with local flavors can provide a differentiated supply. For tourists, office workers, and local consumers, these products are both fresh and more suitable for high-frequency daily dining needs.

In the industry view, the appearance of “Tianbian Clay Pot Braised Noodles” is not only a new project launched by Jia Guolong after the public relations storm but also an attempt to explore a different catering model outside of Xibei’s main brand: on one hand, retaining some experience in supply chain, standardization, and service systems from a mature restaurant enterprise; on the other hand, testing a lighter, more mass-market brand path through an independent team, focused categories, and lower customer ticket prices.

However, whether the brand model is truly established still needs time to verify, from the initial popularity of the first store to the long-term success. For Jia Guolong, this first store in Beijing’s 798 is more like an experimental field: it carries his personal entrepreneurial label and reflects the current restaurant industry’s search for “quality fast food” and “mid-to-low ticket prices” amid cautious consumer trends.

Reporter: Zhang Pangang Editor: Liu Dan Proofreader: Tang Qi