Liulang Paopao announces phased franchise assessments, with RMB 100,000 rewards for outstanding outlets

On 19 October, Wuhan-based all-you-can-eat barbecue brand Liulang Paopao held its 2026 franchisee conference. According to a report published by China.com’s digital section on 23 October, the brand announced an operational assessment scheme covering monthly, half-yearly and annual reviews. Outlets rated “outstanding” in the annual assessment can receive a cash reward of RMB 100,000. The scheme offers another example of how franchisors in China allocate support resources across their networks.

Prize draws and performance rewards are separate

According to the report, three cars were awarded to franchisees attending the conference through a prize draw. The brand also presented honours and cash awards to outlets with strong overall performance. This was the second consecutive year in which Liulang Paopao offered cars as prizes at a franchisee event.

These arrangements should be distinguished: the prize draw was open to franchisees attending the event, while outlet honours and operational rewards were tied to actual performance. Winning a draw says nothing about an outlet’s profitability, and such prizes should not be included in routine earnings projections when planning to open a business.

For franchisees, the more enduring questions are whether clear, consistent support is available for day-to-day operations and how head office defines an outstanding outlet.

Assessments cover monthly, half-yearly and annual performance

The report states that the operational management system introduced that day establishes three assessment cycles: monthly, half-yearly and annual. Outlet performance is linked to marketing cost subsidies, franchise fee reductions or waivers, and cash rewards. Outlets rated “outstanding” in the annual assessment can receive RMB 100,000 in cash.

This means rewards are not confined to one-off awards at the conference: sustained outlet performance also informs resource allocation. However, an annual outstanding-performance reward is not income that every franchisee can expect to receive. Operating budgets should still be based on revenue and costs from normal trading.

Prospective franchisees should verify the scoring criteria, sources of assessment data, review dates, conditions for payment and procedures for resolving scoring disputes, rather than making an investment decision on the strength of the headline reward alone.

Expansion figures still require outlet-level checks

The report says Liulang Paopao’s network has reached 600 outlets, with a net increase of more than 200 over the past year. Almost half of the new outlets were second or third locations opened by existing franchisees. These figures illustrate the scale of the brand’s expansion and continued investment by existing franchisees, but they do not establish that every outlet is profitable.

Multi-unit operators may differ from first-time franchisees in their staffing resources, site-selection experience and funding arrangements. When assessing the opportunity, prospective operators should consider the brand’s overall outlet count separately from projected rent, staffing costs, food wastage and customer footfall at their proposed location. Other franchisees opening additional outlets should not be treated as a guarantee of returns.

Practical tip: Treat rewards as conditional additional support, not a guaranteed return. Obtain the assessment rules in writing before signing, and forecast cash flow without including prize-draw winnings or outstanding-outlet bonuses. This provides a sounder basis for judging whether the outlet can remain viable.