Jia Guolong, founder of Xi Bei Catering Group, recently stated in an interview that he will return to the frontline, refocus on core business operations, and cease building his personal brand.

Jia Guolong expressed a preference for returning to frontline work to improve services, stating, "Actually, I still possess the capability to work on the frontlines. I can select ingredients, compare various supply bases, choose raw materials with better quality and lower costs to create excellent dishes. This is my pursuit."

Jia Guolong projected that from September 2025 to March 2026, Xi Bei's cumulative losses will exceed 600 million yuan. The company will gradually close 102 stores nationwide in the first quarter, accounting for 30% of its total store count.

Following the store closure turmoil, Xi Bei recently secured a new round of financing.

Investment participants include Taizhou Xinrongtai Investment Co., Ltd., Hohhot Jiti Gongchuang Enterprise Management Center (Limited Partnership), Chengdu Xunda Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., and Hangzhou Zhouxuan Equity Investment Management Partnership (Limited Partnership). Business registration information shows Xi Bei Catering's registered capital increased from 89.9029 million yuan to 102 million yuan, a rise of approximately 13%.

Taizhou Xinrongtai Investment Co., Ltd. is wholly owned by Zhang Yong, founder of Xin Rong Ji. Another investor, Hangzhou Zhouxuan Equity Investment Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), has Hu Xiaoming holding a 97% stake. Hu Xiaoming currently serves as Chairman and Chief Quality Control Officer of Yimi Ba Agricultural Technology and was previously an Alibaba partner.

This financing round is viewed externally as a crucial step for Xi Bei in advancing its listing plans. Public reports indicate that at Xi Bei's 2023 annual meeting, Jia Guolong explicitly stated plans to complete an IPO by 2026.

However, following the controversy over Xi Bei's pre-made dishes involving Luo Yonghao in September 2025, when asked about the listing plan, Jia Guolong admitted that he did consider listing during the COVID-19 pandemic, but stated, "After weighing the pros and cons, I am not rejecting it now, but I am not actively pursuing it either." He further explained, "My current approach is to distribute the profits to employees, somewhat similar to Pang Donglai's model. High employee enthusiasm leads to better competitiveness and ultimately higher customer satisfaction. This is my personal pursuit."

Lin Yue, Founder and Chief Consultant of Lingyan Management Consulting, commented that Xi Bei's current financing represents a key capital move made under the dual context of its own strategic contraction (large-scale store closures) and external policy support, aimed at optimizing operations and stabilizing cash flow.