Analysis of Xi Bei Catering's 'Homely Culinary Vibe' Strategic Transformation

According to search results, I found a key piece of information that needs to be clarified first:

Xi Bei Catering is currently a

, and its founder Jia Guolong has publicly stated that it will ‘never go public’. This means , as there are no publicly traded shares. [0]

However, I can provide you with a comprehensive analysis of Xi Bei’s ‘Homely Culinary Vibe’ strategic transformation:

In September 2024, the ‘Xi-Luo Dispute’ between Xi Bei and well-known entrepreneur Luo Yonghao became a landmark event in the history of the catering industry. This controversy stemmed from consumer dissatisfaction with pre-made dishes. Jia Guolong later publicly reflected that ‘pride’ led to a misjudgment of public perception and stated that if he could do it over, he would ‘definitely not confront head-on’. This controversy pushed Xi Bei to accelerate its strategic adjustment. [1][2]

Five days after the pre-made dish controversy erupted on September 15, 2025, Xi Bei announced:

• Adjust pre-processing from central kitchens to on-site preparation at stores as much as possible
• Mutton skewers are cut, skewered, and grilled on-site
• Pork chop semi-finished products are changed to raw ribs and stir-fried on-site at stores
• Will return to more ‘Homely Culinary Vibe’ in the future [1][2]

Currently, Chinese restaurant chain enterprises generally face the dilemma of ‘efficiency or wok hei (traditional cooking vibe)?’:

• Efficiency-oriented
  : Pursue standardization, fast food service, and rely on central kitchens
• Homely Culinary Vibe-oriented
  : On-site production, retain manual skills, but higher costs

Compared with peers, Xi Bei’s transformation came relatively late. Other brands such as Tai Er launched a transparent menu disclosing the pre-processing degree of ingredients in December 2025; Country Style Cooking (Xiangcunji) voluntarily closed its central kitchen in 2024, leading to a 46 million yuan increase in costs in half a year. [1][2]

Implementing the ‘Homely Culinary Vibe’ strategy will bring the following impacts:

:

• On-site processing at stores increases labor costs
• Ingredient waste may rise
• Training costs increase

:

• Enhance brand image and consumer trust
• Differentiated competition to avoid direct competition with standardized fast food
• May support higher customer unit prices

Although Xi Bei is not listed, its transformation has reference value for investors evaluating the catering industry:

1. Industry Signal
   : Xi Bei’s transformation marks that the Chinese restaurant chain industry is re-examining the balance between standardization and experience, and the pre-made dish-dependent model is facing challenges

2. Brand Value Reassessment
   : Consumers’ preference for ‘Homely Culinary Vibe’ may reshape the valuation logic of catering brands, and kitchen transparency has become a new competitive dimension

3. Listing Prospects
   : Jia Guolong once re-evaluated the possibility of Xi Bei embracing the capital market; under the current strategic transformation, the possibility of listing in the future is worth paying attention to

Xi Bei Catering’s ‘Homely Culinary Vibe’ strategy is a positive response to changes in consumption trends, representing a paradigm shift in the Chinese restaurant chain industry from efficiency-first to experience-first. Although it is impossible to directly assess its impact on stock prices, this strategic transformation provides important industry trend references for catering industry investment. Investors are advised to pay attention to whether Xi Bei changes its listing plan in the future and how other listed catering enterprises respond to similar changes in consumer preferences.

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[0] Confirmed Xi Bei Catering is a private company based on search results
[1] Southern Weekend - “Efficiency or Wok Hei? Life-or-Death Choice for Chain Chinese Restaurants” (https://news.southcn.com/node_64549305f1/28abed84be.shtml)
[2] Sina Finance - “2025 Top 10 Catering Keywords Released: Listing Wave, Takeaway War, On-site Stir-frying…” (https://t.cj.sina.cn/articles/view/7282064662/1b20b7d1600101d2ge)