Chairman Zhao Xiaoguo of Shandong Kairui Business Group: Large restaurant companies "turning the big ship around" must proactively shed their old labels

How does Kerry Group respond to market cycle changes through brand transformation?

On March 24, the 2026 China Catering Industry Festival and the 35th HCC Global Catering Industry Expo, co-hosted by the World Chinese Catering Association and Hongcan Network, kicked off at the Hangzhou International Expo Center. At the “2026 China Catering Industry Conference,” Zhao Xiaoguo, chairman of Shandong Kerry Commercial Group, shared the transformation ideas of “asset-heavy enterprises” using Kerry Group as an example.

According to Zhao Xiaoguo, as a pioneer in the chain development of Chinese cuisine in the country, Kerry Group previously made large-scale asset-heavy investments during the boom period. With the change in cycles, the company has reshaped user profiles and re-optimized the development directions of its various brands.

For example, they retained the landmark store in Jinan and adhered to the quality route, achieving sustained positive results in recent years; they launched a 9.9 yuan working meal model, focusing on replicability in stores; some brands opened community stores targeting the middle-aged and elderly customers previously accumulated, achieving good results; they transformed the Cantonese cuisine brand registered 20 years ago on Gaodi Street in Guangzhou into a more approachable “Guan Yue · Guangdong Bistro,” highlighting good ingredients, good flavors, and good interactions; they created a brand that integrates interactivity, internationalization, networking, and artistry, introducing categories like Margarita Pizza and American barbecue, breaking the traditional boundaries of Chinese cuisine.

In addition, Kerry Group has also ventured into the cultural and tourism transportation sector by taking on the operation of the “Hospitality Shandong · Qilu No. 1” special tourist train functional carriage, high-speed service area operations, and high-speed railway station food court operations.

Zhao Xiaoguo stated that the existence of a company is to solve problems, and confidence is more precious than gold. Although it is difficult to turn a large ship around, by tearing off old labels and embracing new consumer changes, it is always possible to find a way for multiple tracks to run in parallel.

Author: Hongcan Editorial Department