Haidilao Launches New Subsidiary Brand 'Huan Xian Bao' with First Store in Wuhan, Focusing on $2.7 Fresh Beef Burgers

Summary

On July 24, 2026, Haidilao officially launched its new sub-brand 'Huanxianbao' in Wuhan, part of its 'Red Pomegranate' incubation plan Huxiu+ 2. The brand features freshly made Angus beef burgers starting at 19.9 RMB, utilizing a transparent kitchen and offering nearly 50 SKUs, including pizza and pasta Huxiu.

Impact Analysis

So basically, Haidilao is chasing the 'poverty meal' trend to offset a cooling hotpot market etnet. By launching 'Huanxianbao' at a 19.9 RMB price point, they are hunting for the high-frequency, low-ticket traffic that their flagship brand simply can't reach Huxiu+ 2. The interesting part isn't just the price—it’s the 'freshly made' Angus beef narrative and transparent kitchen, which attempts to commoditize 'premium' fast food Huxiu.

Market's likely skeptical because Haidilao’s history with sub-brands is hit-or-miss; many fail to scale once the initial curiosity fades . However, with analysts cutting targets due to macro-driven demand weakness etnet, this 'Red Pomegranate' pivot is a necessary move to diversify revenue. I’d read this as a defensive play: they’re leveraging their massive supply chain to see if they can beat Western giants at the value game. The trade-off is execution risk—managing a 50-SKU fast-food menu is a different beast than hotpot. If the Wuhan pilot doesn't show exceptional table turnover soon, it’s just another experiment rather than a growth engine.