What Has Jia Guolong Been Doing During His Two-Month "Disappearance"?

Low‑profile restaurant, same people

Jia Guolong (贾国龙), the founder and once high‑profile face of Xibei (西贝), has largely vanished from public view for two months — but reporters found tangible traces of his activity. It has been reported that Jia quietly opened a new Inner Mongolia–style eatery called Tianbian (天边) in Beijing’s 798 art district. The outlet’s business registration ties it to Xibei Tenggeli Catering Management Co., and staff told reporters the new shop is run by the same owner and has absorbed some former Xibei employees — though they were cautious when asked about direct ties to Jia or the Xibei brand.

The restaurant is notable for what it lacks: the founder’s usual theatrical branding. No red‑checked tablecloths, no children’s shows, no overt “Jia Guolong” signage. It serves dishes — clay‑pot noodles, gluten, rib stews — that echo Xibei’s menu but at a lower price point. Reportedly, the move looks less like a reinvention than a deliberate “de‑Jia‑ification”: a founder stepping back while the underlying business and recipes quietly persist.

Crisis at Xibei and a managerial reset

That low profile matters because Xibei Catering Group (西贝餐饮集团有限公司) is in the middle of a painful restructuring. It has been reported that the company will close about 102 outlets — roughly 30% of its nationwide network — affecting some 4,000 employees, and that cumulative losses from September 2025 to March 2026 exceed RMB 600 million. Internally, former CEO Dong Junyi (董俊义) has reportedly resumed day‑to‑day control as Jia “retires to the background,” and the chain has implemented cost cuts: store shutdowns, manager pay reductions, the suspension of the once‑famous “training camps” (including in‑store magicians), and tighter store accountability.

Employees describe deferred wages, forced redeployments, and shrinking benefits — a sharp reversal from the expansion‑and‑showmanship era that made Xibei a household name in China. It has been reported that some pay cuts may be restored as performance bonuses if stores reduce losses, creating intense pressure on front‑line managers.

Rescue by old connections amid a cooling market

Financially, Xibei’s lifeline has come not from venture capital but from old colleagues and regional investors. Company filings show new shareholders and a small capital injection from Lin Lairong (林来嵘), an Inner Mongolia entrepreneur and long‑time acquaintance of Jia’s. It has been reported that several other firms tied to industry friends also took stakes in February. That pattern reflects a broader chill: investor appetite for mid‑market restaurant chains has waned, IPO windows remain narrow, and Chinese consumer‑facing sectors face greater scrutiny and tighter capital flows — all factors that complicate traditional rescue or growth routes.

So what does Jia’s disappearance mean for China’s founder‑led food brands? Is this the end of the era in which charismatic owners sell an experience as much as a menu? For now, the answer appears pragmatic: the founder retreats from the spotlight, local backers step in, and the brand tries to survive with a leaner, less personality‑driven model — even as thousands of employees and suppliers confront wrenching uncertainty.