Hit by a flood of traffic, why did Liu Wenxiang Malatang (刘文祥麻辣烫) pause franchising?

Viral fame — and an operational hangover

A throwaway line in a short‑video series sent Liu Wenxiang Malatang (刘文祥麻辣烫) from regional chain to national sensation almost overnight. Zhou Xiaonao (周小闹)’s “If the whole world criticizes you, I’ll take you to eat Liu Wenxiang” — delivered in the popular "Purple Sweet Potato Spirit (紫薯精)" character — triggered a wave of social‑media check‑ins from Wuhan to Jinan and beyond. Stores reported queues and order backlogs that their teams were plainly not set up to handle. Reportedly, a Jinan outlet saw daily revenue double and a Wuhan shop faced thousands of accumulated orders some mornings, forcing temporary pauses on delivery service.

Franchise chaos exposed

Why the scramble? Liu Wenxiang has grown for nearly 20 years on a franchise model, with more than 2,300 outlets across 30+ cities. But growth outpaced governance: multiple logos and divergent shop designs have created brand confusion, and it has been reported that supply‑and‑quality controls are inconsistent. The headquarters supplies broth centrally, but critical elements — sesame paste, chili oil, portioning and cooking — rely on local staff and vary widely. Customers now describe a “thousand shops, thousand flavours” problem (千店千味). Some outlets are even alleged to prioritize delivery with poorer in‑store hygiene; it has been reported that core condiment supplies ran out in a number of locations during the surge.

Pause to stabilise — and what comes next?

The company’s official cooperation account has posted a notice suspending new franchise inquiries from March 2 to April 3. That pause looks strategic: a breath to shore up supply chains, standardise recipes, and reassert visual identity before further expansion. Could the brand have handled the heat without slamming the brakes? Probably not. The episode is a cautionary tale for any Chinese food chain suddenly gifted viral traffic: short‑video fame can drive rapid customer acquisition, but long‑term value depends on rigorous franchising rules, centralised logistics and enforceable quality control. For Liu Wenxiang, the choice now is whether to convert a moment of fame into durable brand equity — or let uneven standards squander it.