Guoliang Cao, born in July 1986 in Huining, Gansu, is a Han Chinese male with a graduate degree and a member of the Communist Party. Since commencing his career in 2007, he now serves as Chairman of Jiangsu Babatang Catering Management and CEO of Shanghai Tangdou Tech.
Honored with awards like the "Wuxi May Day Labor Medal" and "Liangxi Youth May Fourth Medal," Cao also holds roles including being a member of the 2nd Liangxi CPPCC, Deputy Secretary of the CYLC Liangxi Committee, Industrial Professor at Jiangnan University, and External Tutor for Master's students since 2023.
Since June 2017, Babatang Handmade Toast was founded, pioneering a new business model for the toast segment in the bakery industry. With a focus on artisanal toast, the brand has transformed traditional baking, expanding to over 500 stores in 182 cities by the end of 2023, maintaining its leadership as China's top handmade toast brand.
Adhering to strict standards for ingredients, safety, craftsmanship, and freshness, Babatang uses custom wheat flour, imported full-fat milk powder, selected white sugar, and high-quality butter, ensuring each toast is hand-baked fresh daily.The brand has garnered acclaim from consumers, industry media, and investors alike.
Recipient of numerous honors, including ranking first among "China's Top 15 Innovative Bakery Chains" by iiMedia Ranking, and listed among "China's Top Ten Baking Brands," Babatang secured multi-million-dollar funding from IDG Capital in June 2021.
In April 2023, it was honored as the sole "China Space Industry Partner" in the bakery sector by the China Aerospace Foundation.
Since July 2020, Cao joined Hema Group and established Tangdou Tech, focusing on enhancing Hema's bakery operations. He successfully revamped Hema Bakery's brand image and established a strong brand identity.
Initiating an in-house supply chain, he co-founded China's first full-process bakery, from wheat to bread, boosting efficiency across Hema's national bakery network, and tailored business models for Hema's diverse retail formats.
4.2H - Hall B2
Running a bakery chain is an "attractive" business, but surviving amidst intense competition and uncertainty requires entrepreneurs to resist the temptation of rapid expansion. In the heavily reshuffled baking market, Babatang has focused on the overlooked category of toast. By offering niche, high-moisture handmade toast, they created differentiation and captured the minds of consumers. At the same time, they established factories and optimized the supply chain, allowing for stable expansion. This strategy has resulted in opening stores in 182 cities, securing billions in financing, and achieving over 600 million in revenue.
FBIF invited Cao Guoliang, founder of Babatang to share: How did the steadily growing Babatang pave a unique path of counter-trend expansion that is difficult to replicate?