Where to dive in

Following the Xibei incident, Jia Guolong, founder of the Xibei Dining Group, has stepped into the fresh lamb sector with a new brand, Tianbian Yangduo. During the opening weekend, our team visited the first store and found it fully occupied during lunch, with all diners being adults and no children in sight, a stark contrast to Xibei's typical clientele. Due to heavy foot traffic in the commercial area, multiple items like skewers were sold out by lunch, and service was slow.

Pricing is a key point: lamb ribs and hind legs are sold per 50 grams at 15 to 18 yuan per unit, translating to roughly 150 to 180 yuan per jin (500 grams). A 20-gram lamb skewer starts at 8 yuan, with neck meat skewers reaching up to 13 yuan. Some netizens noted that Xibei's 30-gram lamb skewer costs 7 yuan, prompting the question, "If it's 10 grams less, why is it more expensive?" On Dianping, the store has over 300 reviews, with 20-30% being negative, focusing on high prices and poor service. The store manager, who came from Xibei, said a few staff are transferred from Xibei, while most are hired externally. "Pay is the same as Xibei," he added, noting that all dishes are freshly made to order. In March, Xibei faced widespread wage delays, but the manager stated, "The crisis is over. Many stores are seeing a rebound in traffic and revenue, and salaries are back to normal without further delays."

Why fresh lamb at 180 yuan per jin and skewers starting at 8 yuan

Recently, Jia Guolong's Tianbian series launched its second independent brand, Tianbian Yangduo, with its first national store in Beijing's Fengke Wanda. According to Dianping, the brand focuses on fresh lamb with an average per-person spend of about 82 yuan. The store features a transparent operation area at the entrance, where whole lamb carcasses hang on stainless steel racks, and chefs break down, portion, and skewer the meat in full view. Diners can also see the kitchen's cooking processes, including braising, stir-frying, and dumpling-making, making open-kitchen freshness a key differentiator. This has attracted many customers. During the opening weekend, our team found the store fully packed during lunch, with continuous arrivals until 2 p.m., and a waitlist outside. Notably, unlike Xibei's family-oriented focus, Tianbian Yangduo targets friend gatherings. All diners observed were adults, with no children present. Due to high traffic, items like skewers sold out by lunch, and service was slow. One customer commented, "The food was average, and opening day was chaotic. The staff got impatient and just served whatever came out of the kitchen." The store manager admitted, "Customer traffic is high, with nearly 300 tables daily. Today, we had about 150 tables by noon, so lines may be expected during peak hours." Pricing has also drawn criticism. The menu lists lamb neck, ribs, and hind legs per 50 grams at 15 to 18 yuan, equating to 150 to 180 yuan per jin. Skewers start at 8 yuan, with neck meat skewers at up to 13 yuan.

Staff from Xibei, salaries back to normal

Reports indicate that Tianbian Yangduo is managed by a team of Xibei employees averaging age 95, with Jia Guolong setting the direction for a fresh lamb brand and supporting their ideas on menu, tableware, and store design. The store manager explained that the location was previously a Tianbian Noodle Sauce store, which itself was a converted Xibei outlet. The store opened in late 2023 as Tianbian Noodle Sauce and changed to Tianbian Yangduo in August 2024. Regarding future expansion, the manager said, "There's no firm strategy yet. We'll monitor this store's performance and whether the business model works." Staff composition includes the manager and a few from Xibei, with most hired externally. "We prioritize Xibei employees willing to transfer, with the same pay," the manager noted. In March, Xibei faced widespread wage delays affecting managers and staff, with some being laid off without compensation. The manager now says, "Many Xibei stores have recovered in traffic and revenue. Salaries are back to normal, and there have been no further delays."

Three formats likely to coexist long-term

A Tianbian brand representative previously stated that the noodle sauce business is stable and not struggling. The fresh lamb initiative is a separate exploration alongside Xibei and the noodle sauce brand, with all three likely to coexist long-term. The store manager added, "The previous Tianbian Noodle Sauce store was doing okay, with lower but stable average spending." Since last year's controversies, Xibei has undergone changes. Before the Spring Festival, Jia Guolong stepped down as CEO of the Xibei main brand, with former CEO Dong Junyi returning. Current operations are managed by Dong. On the capital front, Inner Mongolia Xibei Dining Group saw a shareholder change, adding fellow entrepreneur Lin Lairong, with registered capital rising from 1.02 billion yuan to 1.0393 billion yuan. Earlier, Xibei also welcomed investors like Xinrongji founder Zhang Yong and former Alibaba partner Hu Xiaoming, with a 13% capital increase. After the pre-made food controversy, Jia Guolong has stepped back, focusing on multiple brands. He incubated Tianbian Noodle Sauce, which opened its first store in February and expanded to Beijing, Hohhot, Shenzhen, and Shanghai. Now, Tianbian Yangduo is launched. Dianping shows the store is under Beijing Fanmeimei Catering Management Co., Ltd., Fengke Wanda branch, established in November 2025, with He Yana as the responsible person. Tianyancha shows the parent company is 60% owned by Inner Mongolia Xibei Dining Group and 40% by Beijing Fanxiangxiang Catering Management Center. Food industry analyst Zhu Danpeng commented, "This isn't Jia Guolong's first attempt at a new brand. Previous ventures like Super Meat Burger, Yogurt House, Date Cake, and Chinese Burger have mostly closed or shrunk. Now, he's focusing on fresh brands for a second growth curve, with the entire Xibei system still in trial and adjustment mode."