Protest at snack street lockout

　　The destiny of Jiumen Xiaochi, a renowned snack establishment near Houhai, hangs in the balance after its owner sealed up its doors late last month, the Radio Beijing Corporation reported Thursday.

Jiumen Xiaochi, which opened in 2006 in Xicheng district, housed some of Beijing's traditional snack stalls, including some time-honored snack brands, such as Baodu "Quick-Boiled Tripe" Feng. But since seven of the snack vendors were forced out because of management fee hikes in March this year, it has been involved in a continuous drama of disputes.

Duan Yunsong, one of the four shareholders from Jiumen and also the president of Shichahai Chamber of Commerce, sealed the doors unexpectedly on April 28, refusing admittance to staff and customers. He has a one percent stake in the venture.

Thursday, dozens of staff members, who work for vendors that chose to stay in Jiumen, were crowded around the entrance. Several police officers could be seen standing nearby.

"We just want to work here and get our salary, which is our only wish… I don't know what happened between the bosses, but I hope Jiumen can stay and I can work here," said a man surnamed Qin.

According to the Legal Mirror, Duan has reached a consensus with the seven stalls that quit the snack street, and will cooperate to open a snack venue in the same location, forcing out the other shareholders and remaining stallholders. This would mean the end of the Jiumen brand.

Another shareholder, surnamed Zhu, said that he hoped Jiumen can still stay at Houhai and reopen to the public again.

"We [the other three shareholders of Jiumen] want to settle the dispute with Duan as soon as possible, but he refused to meet with us," Zhu told the Global Times.

He mentioned that no government agencies have intervened in the dispute except the Beijing education bureau which owns the premises Jiumen rented.

"Jiumen Xiaochi is not just a shop, but means the inheritance of culture, so we'll try our best to preserve the brand," he said.

As to the possible strategy to deal with the dispute, another shareholder, Hou Jia, told the Global Times that they might move location and reopen.

Deshunzhai, famous for its sesame seed cakes, was forced to halt trading since the doors were sealed. The fifth generation of the cake maker, Wang Shihua, still wants to stay in Jiumen as long as the shareholders could resolve their disputes soon and if the rent does not rise dramatically.

"To be frank, it is hard to balance our expenditure and income because of the rent increase. But I still hope to stay in the old place to run my business, which can preserve my brand," Wang said Thursday.