Weiduomei has sparked widespread attention and controversy after being accused of explicitly rejecting job applicants with Beijing household registration during recruitment. A Beijing resident, Ms. Cai, posted on social media that on March 23, when she applied for a position as a decorating apprentice at a Weiduomei store, the recruiter immediately dismissed her application upon learning she held a Beijing hukou, stating the company prefers to hire non-local candidates. Under the related post, many netizens commented: "Weiduomei doesn't want Beijing locals but still wants to earn money from them," and "If that's the case, I won't buy from them anymore." Another comment suggested: "If they don't ask, you shouldn't bring it up." On March 24, a journalist posing as a job seeker inquired with a Weiduomei recruiter, mentioning being from Hunan while a friend was from Beijing, both seeking employment. The recruiter promptly responded, "You can join, but your friend cannot; this is a company-wide rule." However, after the journalist revealed their identity, the recruiter backtracked, claiming the company employs many Beijing locals and that recruitment has no household registration restrictions, questioning if it was an issue with the applicant's own intentions or capabilities. Ms. Cai expressed that this was her first attempt at blue-collar work, willing to accept fewer rest days and lower pay to learn a skill, but faced repeated rejections from Weiduomei due to her hukou. She recalled that several Weiduomei HR representatives initially communicated smoothly but ceased contact upon learning her Beijing residency, until a new HR contact gave a clear refusal: "We do not consider Beijing locals." A Weiduomei HR representative contacted by the journalist stated, "The company has no unified rule against hiring locals; many of our staff are from Beijing," adding that store hiring is based on operational needs and staff stability, not discriminatory户籍 requirements. Weiduomei's website shows that in May 1996, founder Huang Li opened the first bakery in Beijing's Fuchengmen, naming it "Weiduomei." Due to quality ingredients, skilled craftsmanship, and an innovative model, it quickly attracted many customers, making "Weiduomei" well-known locally with frequent queues. The site notes: "Since its establishment, Weiduomei has opened over 300 chain stores across Beijing, Shanghai, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and other regions, with an average of one store every three kilometers in Beijing, making it a highly popular bakery in the city."