賈國龍以一種近乎悲壯的方式，重新站回公眾視野的中心。2026年1月15日，一則消息在網路上迅速擴散：西貝將關閉102家門店，約佔整體門店數的三成。不久後，賈國龍親自向《中國新聞周刊》證實這一傳聞，並且沒有任何閃躲或模糊其詞。他選擇正面承擔，公開承認這是一個極其艱難、卻不得不做出的決定。

在隨後發布的朋友圈長文中，賈國龍用一句「我們盡力了」作為開頭，情緒克制卻沉重。他寫道，這125天來，西貝沒有求人、沒有逃避，只靠自己硬撐，幾乎是用消耗戰的方式對抗市場寒冬與輿論風暴。他坦言，這102家門店的關閉工作將在今年第一季內陸續完成，但同時也鄭重承諾，所有因此不得不離職的員工，薪資將一分不少地結清；所有顧客的儲值卡，依然可以在其他西貝門店正常使用，如選擇退款，將即刻辦理、不設門檻。在文章結尾，他留下一句近乎自我鼓勵的話：「接下來的時間，我們會繼續拼，爭取活下來。」

然而，比起大規模閉店本身，更引發網友與業界熱議的，是賈國龍在朋友圈中隨後拋出的另一連串強硬表態。他再次明確強調，西貝門店「從來不是預製菜」，無論是按照國家對預製菜的正式定義，還是依照普通消費者的生活常識，西貝都不應被貼上這個標籤。他直言，將西貝與預製菜簡單粗暴地劃上等號，是一種對品牌、對餐飲從業者極不公平的污名化。

同時，賈國龍也罕見地為品牌顧問公司「華與華」公開發聲。他澄清，去年九月西貝宣布要開放廚房、接受媒體與公眾隨時參觀，並非外部顧問的主意，而是他本人拍板決定；邀請媒體進店拍攝、接受採訪，同樣是他親自授權。他在文中語氣強硬地寫道：「有事衝著我來！」這句話迅速在網路上傳播，成為這場風波中最具個人色彩的註腳。

事實上，這種高度個人化、強烈掌控感的管理風格，正是西貝過去三十多年能夠迅速成長的重要原因之一。賈國龍以創辦人與核心決策者的身份，長期站在品牌最前線，讓西貝在中式正餐領域一路擴張，最終坐上了行業龍頭的位置。但同樣的特質，在環境劇烈變化、輿論高度敏感的當下，也成為一把雙刃劍。過去四個月，圍繞「預製菜」「中央廚房」「西藍花」等議題的爭議持續發酵，客流量出現斷崖式下滑，即便西貝投入大量真金白銀進行補貼、促銷，依舊無法扭轉局勢。

1月8日，《中國新聞周刊》在北京對賈國龍進行專訪，將所有爭議集中攤開來談。當被問到「為什麼非要在這個問題上較真」時，賈國龍的回答顯得異常坦率，甚至帶著一絲壓抑已久的憤怒。他說，這根本不是較真不較真的問題，而是因為「這盆髒水，我真的喝不下去了」。

這句話，或許正是賈國龍當下處境的最佳寫照。在品牌生死、行業信任與個人尊嚴之間，他選擇站出來，把所有壓力與責任攬在自己身上。西貝是否能挺過這一輪寒冬仍是未知數，但至少在這場風暴中，賈國龍已經用最直接、也最沉重的方式，宣告自己的回歸與不退場。

Jia Guolong returned to the center of public attention in an almost tragic and resolute manner. On January 15, 2026, news spread rapidly online that Xibei would close 102 of its restaurants, accounting for nearly 30 percent of its total outlets. Shortly afterward, Jia personally confirmed the report to China Newsweek, offering no evasions or ambiguous wording. Instead, he chose to confront the situation head-on, openly acknowledging that this was an extremely painful yet unavoidable decision.

In a subsequent post on his WeChat Moments, Jia began with the words, “We did our best,” a restrained yet heavy expression of emotion. He wrote that over the past 125 days, Xibei had not asked for help and had not retreated, relying solely on its own strength to endure what amounted to a war of attrition against both a harsh market environment and an overwhelming wave of public scrutiny. He revealed that the closure of the 102 outlets would be completed within the first quarter of the year, while firmly promising that every employee who was forced to leave would receive their full wages without a single cent withheld. All customer prepaid cards would remain valid at other Xibei locations, and refunds would be processed immediately upon request, with no conditions attached. He concluded the post with a line that sounded both defiant and self-encouraging: “In the time ahead, we will keep fighting and try to survive.”

Yet more than the scale of the closures themselves, what truly captured public and online attention were Jia Guolong’s subsequent forceful statements in the same post. He once again stated unequivocally that Xibei restaurants have “never been a pre-prepared meal business,” whether judged by official national definitions or by common-sense understanding in everyday life. He argued that crudely labeling Xibei as a pre-made food operation was an unfair stigmatization of the brand and an injustice to the people working in the restaurant industry.

At the same time, Jia unusually stepped forward to defend the branding consultancy H&H (Hua & Hua). He clarified that the decision announced last September to open Xibei kitchens to public viewing was his own, not the result of outside consultants, and that inviting media outlets to freely interview and film inside the restaurants was also personally authorized by him. In a strongly worded line that quickly went viral, he wrote, “If there’s a problem, come at me.” The phrase became one of the most personal and symbolic expressions to emerge from the entire controversy.

In fact, this highly personalized and tightly controlled management style has been one of the key reasons behind Xibei’s rapid expansion over the past three decades. As founder and core decision-maker, Jia Guolong has long positioned himself at the very front line of the brand, driving Xibei’s growth and eventually elevating it to a leading position in China’s casual Chinese dining sector. However, under today’s rapidly changing environment and heightened public sensitivity, the same trait has also become a double-edged sword. Over the past four months, controversies surrounding “pre-prepared meals,” “central kitchens,” “broccoli,” and other related topics have continued to escalate, triggering a cliff-like decline in customer traffic. Even substantial financial subsidies and promotions failed to reverse the downturn.

On January 8, China Newsweek conducted an in-depth interview with Jia Guolong in Beijing, confronting all the controversies directly. When asked why he insisted on “taking this issue so seriously,” Jia responded with striking candor and barely concealed frustration. He said this was not a matter of being stubborn or argumentative, but rather that “this kind of dirty water—I simply can’t swallow it.”

That statement may best capture Jia Guolong’s current predicament. Caught between brand survival, industry trust, and personal dignity, he chose to step forward and shoulder all the pressure and responsibility himself. Whether Xibei can ultimately survive this harsh winter remains uncertain, but in the midst of the storm, Jia has made one thing clear: through the most direct and painful means possible, he has declared his return—and his refusal to step aside.