Jia Guolong: After watching his own videos repeatedly, he realized he indeed comes across as overly "preachy."

Following another wave of public criticism, Jia Guolong, founder of Xi Bei Catering Group, recently expressed his willingness to return to frontline operations and cease building his personal brand.

In an interview, Jia Guolong stated: "I don't think I'm suited for personal branding. I get easily excited, my expressions are too exaggerated, which can make people think 'Old Jia is boasting again,' and there's an element of lecturing. I didn't used to think so, but after watching my own videos many times, I found the 'preachy tone' is indeed strong. I have no confidence in building a personal IP, none at all."

Jia Guolong indicated that he prefers returning to the frontline to improve services. "Actually, I still have the capability to work on the front lines. I can select ingredients, compare different supply bases, choose which raw materials offer better quality at lower cost to create excellent dishes. That is my pursuit."

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

Furthermore, it was reported that Xi Bei continuously issued large-value consumption vouchers last year, totaling over 300 million yuan. In a recent exclusive interview, Jia Guolong told media that in January 2026, store business declined by 50% year-on-year.

Additionally, Xi Bei's recent completion of a new funding round has attracted significant attention. The National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System shows that on January 20, Inner Mongolia Xi Bei Catering Group Co., Ltd. underwent industrial and commercial changes, adding new investors including Taizhou Xinrongtai Investment Co., Ltd., Hohhot Collective Co-creation Enterprise Management Center (Limited Partnership), Hangzhou Zhouxuan Equity Investment Management Partnership (Limited Partnership), Zhou Haoyu, and Chengdu Xunda Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. Simultaneously, its registered capital increased from approximately 89.903 million yuan to about 102 million yuan, a rise of roughly 13%.

According to reports, 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 is currently the Chairman and Chief Quality Control Officer of Yimi Ba Agricultural Technology and was previously an Alibaba partner.

Xin Rong Ji founder Zhang Yong is the restaurateur with the most Black Pearl diamonds and Michelin stars in China. Jia Guolong has frequently mentioned that he and Xin Rong Ji's Zhang Yong are good friends. In early 2022, during a media interview, Jia Guolong mentioned Xin Rong Ji, saying he joked with Zhang Yong: "You handle reaching the pinnacle, I'll handle blanketing the earth."

Media learned from industry insiders that Jia Guolong was once a student in an MBA class taught by Hu Xiaoming, after which their collaboration began. In 2024, Yimi Ba and Xi Bei announced a co-branded deep-sea large yellow croaker children's meal, with the large yellow croaker in Xi Bei's children's meals supplied by Yimi Ba.

This funding round is viewed externally as a critical step for Xi Bei in advancing its listing plans. According to public reports, at Xi Bei's 2023 annual meeting, Jia Guolong explicitly stated plans to complete an IPO by 2026.

However, in September 2025, when media inquired about Jia Guolong's listing plans, he admitted that he had indeed considered going public. "Weighing the pros and cons, now I neither reject it nor will I actively pursue it." He told reporters, "My current approach is to distribute the profits earned to employees, somewhat like Pang Donglai. Employees have high work enthusiasm, my competitiveness improves, and ultimately customer satisfaction increases. That is my own pursuit."

Lin Yue, founder and chief consultant of Lingyan Management Consulting, stated in a media interview that Xi Bei's current fundraising is a key capital move made against the dual backdrop of its own strategic contraction (large-scale store closures) and external policy support, aimed at optimizing operations and stabilizing cash flow.