# Fatal Blow! Xibei Lost 600 Million, Founder's Exit-Style Resignation, 30 Years of Business Destroyed in an Instant?

When Jia Guolong stepped down as CEO of Xibei's main brand, he probably realized himself that the era of shouting "never go public" and "take a break for self-correction" had completely turned the page.

No one could have imagined that the once-glorious leading Chinese restaurant brand would end up like this—closing 150 stores, nearly one-third of all national locations, many of which were long-established shops that had operated for over a decade; headquarters laid off over 60% of staff, the once-bustling office area became desolate, founder Jia Guolong retreated to the background, that high-profile, outspoken, even slightly stubborn restaurant tycoon suddenly went "invisible."

This whole thing feels deeply awkward.

If you say it's miserable? It certainly is. From September 2025 to March 2026, cumulative losses exceeded 600 million yuan, employee salaries were delayed, middle management took 30% pay cuts, laid-off employees couldn't get compensation, and were even subtly forced to resign voluntarily. The "righteousness" that Jia Guolong often mentioned now appears pathetically pale in the face of "survival" pressures.

But if you say it deserves it? Well, not exactly. After all, they did try—over 30 menu items saw price cuts of nearly 20%, average customer spending dropped from 92 yuan to 75 yuan, removed the 25-minute wait-time hourglass, switched lamb skewers and beef sauce back to hand-cut stir-fry, and even installed 6 cameras in each store for live kitchen streaming, doing everything possible to win back consumer trust.

But Xibei's problems were never as simple as "not trying hard enough." Like many middle-aged professionals, even though they gave their all, they were still left behind by the times—Xibei's predicament is actually a microcosm of countless individuals who were "once glorious, now awkward." $ETH

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