ZanSi

ZanSi (赞思) is a Shanghai-based restaurant-brand management company founded by Chen Huabin, with a stated mission to industrialize and digitize China's food and dining sector . It began as a single-brand operator focused on "Mr. Soup" (汤先生), a health-oriented fast-casual chain serving additive-free stewed soups and grain bowls priced around RMB 28–40, built for delivery channels . By 2019, ZanSi had expanded into multi-brand incubation, leveraging two self-developed capabilities: a data-driven middle-office system for restaurant operations and a compound-seasoning supply chain centered on soup bases . Through its Zanyunying unit, it has reportedly served brands including Blue Frog, Dazhuang Niuza, and Yelixiali, claiming a 90% annual renewal rate . In late 2020, the company entered the compound-seasoning consumer market with a planned vertical brand, "Wei Laodi" (味老弟), targeting young consumers lacking cooking skills with soup seasonings and prepared dishes . ZanSi raised tens of millions of RMB in a Series B round in early 2021 led by 5Y Capital and IDG Capital . The company describes itself as "good at stewing" — both soups and sauces .