Meet the Noodle Founder Apologizes, Donates Trademark

In a dramatic reversal that has captivated Chinese social media, the founder of publicly-listed noodle chain Meet the Noodle (遇见小面) has issued a public apology and pledged to donate a registered trademark to a small family-run rival — after his company’s lawsuit against the tiny shop sparked a nationwide backlash.

Song Qi, founder and CEO of Meet the Noodle (HKEX: 02408), published an open letter titled “A Letter to Yu Jian Xiao Mian” in the early hours of June 15, acknowledging that the company’s trademark enforcement actions were a “major management failure” that contradicted its core values of integrity and kindness. As The Paper reported, Song announced that Meet the Noodle would donate its registered Class 35 “Yu Jian Xiao Mian” trademark to the small shop free of charge, allowing it to continue using the name without changing its storefront.

The Dispute That Went Viral

The controversy began in early June when Meet the Noodle, through an outsourced law firm, sued a husband-and-wife-run noodle shop called “Yu Jian Xiao Mian” (渝见小面) in Nanyang, Henan Province, demanding 7,000 to 8,000 yuan in damages for trademark infringement. The shop owner’s tearful plea — “I sell noodles at 8 yuan a bowl, I’d have to sell at least 1,000 bowls, and that’s 1,000 bowls with costs” — went viral after being broadcast by Henan TV’s livelihood channel on June 11.

The emotional appeal struck a nerve in China, where public sentiment often sympathizes with small businesses against large corporations. Many viewed the lawsuit as “trademark bullying” — a wealthy listed company targeting a struggling family business over a name that, according to legal experts interviewed by Interface News, may not even constitute infringement.

A Questionable Legal Claim

Legal analysts widely criticized the lawsuit as overreach. While “Meet the Noodle” (遇见小面, Yùjiàn Xiǎo Miàn) and “Yu Jian Xiao Mian” (渝见小面) share similar pronunciation, the characters and meanings are fundamentally different. “Yu” (渝) is the traditional abbreviation for Chongqing, suggesting Chongqing-style cuisine, while “Yu” (遇) in Meet the Noodle’s name is a common verb meaning “to encounter.”

Ning Du, a lecturer at East China University of Political Science and Law’s Intellectual Property School, told Beijing News that trademark similarity should be judged by overall comparison and main identifying features, not mechanical character-by-character matching. The plaintiff’s lawyer had argued that “three out of four characters being the same constitutes overall similarity” — a claim experts called “mechanical character comparison.” Consumers, they noted, are unlikely to confuse the two brands.

Crisis Management in Action

Meet the Noodle’s response followed a textbook crisis management timeline. On June 12, the company withdrew the lawsuit. On June 13, it issued a corporate statement reflecting on its trademark enforcement procedures. And on June 15, founder Song Qi took personal responsibility in an open letter posted around 1 AM.

“These two days, I’ve been reflecting behind closed doors, thinking about what more I can do besides apologizing,” Song wrote, as Tencent News reported. “We admit our mistakes, bear the consequences, do not shift blame, and will take on more social responsibility in the future.”

Beyond donating the trademark, Song announced that Meet the Noodle had terminated its contract with the outsourced law firm and offered to help the small shop apply for a Class 43 trademark as well. The shop, which had resumed normal operations on June 14, can now continue using its name without legal threat.

A Company Under Pressure

The trademark controversy comes at a sensitive time for Meet the Noodle. Founded in 2014 in Guangzhou by Song Qi — a former Yum! Brands and McDonald’s executive — the company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in December 2025, becoming the “first Chinese noodle restaurant stock.” According to Securities Times, the company posted strong 2025 results with revenue of 1.622 billion yuan (up 40.5% year-on-year) and net profit of 106 million yuan (up 74.8%).

Yet its stock has fallen over 50% since its IPO, and it dropped an additional 6% on June 15 as the controversy unfolded. The company operates over 500 stores across 20+ Chinese cities, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and has ambitious plans to open 150-180 new restaurants in 2026, targeting 1,000+ stores by 2028.

What This Means for Brand Protection in China

The case highlights a growing tension in China’s business landscape: the legitimate need for trademark protection versus public sympathy for small businesses caught in the crossfire. Meet the Noodle had defensively registered multiple variations of its name — including “Yu Jian Xiao Mian” and “Yu Jian Xiao Mian” with different characters — a common practice among large brands. But critics argue the company’s aggressive enforcement, particularly in cities where it has no stores, crossed an ethical line.

Public reaction remains divided. Some praise Song Qi’s apology as “principled and responsible,” while others view it as a crisis PR move forced by public pressure. As one commenter on Guancha put it: “He didn’t realize he was wrong — he realized he was about to die.”

For Meet the Noodle, the challenge now is to rebuild trust while continuing its aggressive expansion. The trademark donation may have resolved one dispute, but it has opened a broader conversation about how China’s growing corporate giants should balance legal rights with social responsibility.

Disclosure: This article is based on reporting from The Paper, Interface News, Tencent News, Securities Times, and Guancha.