The last remaining location of the hotpot chain founded by singer Joker Xue, known as Shangshangqian, has recently closed its doors in Shanghai's Nanjing East Road pedestrian street, following the earlier closure of its Guangzhou outlet.
This move marks the complete shutdown of the once-popular brand, which at its peak operated nearly 30 restaurants across China. The listing for the Shanghai store has been removed from the public review app Dianping.
Multiple social media posts from users have confirmed the recent closure, with staff reportedly indicating no plans to reopen in other cities. Calls to the store went unanswered.
The brand's official social media account announced a temporary closure for adjustments on May 22nd and has not been updated since. At the end of 2025, the brand's official account had announced the closure of its Guangzhou store due to an expired lease, leaving only the Shanghai location operational at that time.
Shangshangqian hotpot was launched by the celebrity in 2012 and quickly gained popularity by leveraging his personal brand, becoming a trendy dining destination for fans.
At its height, the chain reportedly operated 8 directly-owned stores and 20 franchised locations, with daily revenue reaching around 1.5 million yuan in 2017, and had a presence in major cities like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou.
In recent years, Joker Xue has gradually distanced himself from the business. He exited the shareholder list of the associated company in February 2019, with his father taking over. Later that year, his father co-founded a new catering management company.
The brand faced regulatory issues in 2020 when two Shanghai outlets were cited for hygiene violations. The original operating company filed for deregistration in 2021, and his father also exited the subsequent company's shareholder structure later that year.
By December 2023, the chain was down to just the two final stores. The singer has stated in interviews that after refocusing on his music career, he had "no mind to continue in the catering business."
An industry analyst noted that while the brand initially benefited from celebrity-driven traffic, it lacked a differentiated menu and relied on one-time "check-in" visits rather than building customer loyalty through food quality or service, which proved unsustainable for long-term operations.
The decline of Shangshangqian reflects a broader retreat of celebrity-backed dining ventures. The trend of celebrities opening hotpot restaurants, such as those launched by other stars, has cooled significantly in recent years.
The core reason for this downturn, according to analysis, is a flawed business model that prioritizes short-term traffic from fame over the fundamentals of the restaurant industry: product quality, supply chain management, and sustained operational excellence.
Furthermore, the lack of deep, daily involvement from the celebrity founders often leads to a disconnect between brand strategy and actual management, making these ventures vulnerable when the initial hype fades or negative publicity arises.
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