More than 4,000 diners at one of China’s biggest hotpot chain were offered compensation after a video surfaced showing drunk teens urinating into food.
The hotpot chain Haidilao apologised to customers after a video was shared online from one of its Shanghai locations showing two teens who were allegedly drunk at the time urinating into the hotpot broth, the BBC reported.
“We fully understand that the distress caused to our customers by this incident cannot be fully compensated for by any means, but we will do our utmost to take responsibility,” the company said in a statement.
The 17-year-olds were filmed standing on the table and urinating into the food in a private room at a restaurant in an incident that reportedly occurred in February. Though it was not clear who filmed the incident, the teens allegedly responsible for the act were later arrested.
“Diners in Haidilao use their own personal hotpot equipment to cook their food, and broths are not re-used again for other customers. However, it is unclear in this case if the hotpot in question was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before it was used by the next customer,” the BBC noted.
The company’s management did not find out about the incident until days after it happened when the video was posted. Staff on duty at the Shanghai location reportedly did not stop the teens from their disgusting act and the company revealed that it took another week following the incident to pinpoint which Shanghai location it was.
“Haidilao said customers who dined at the outlet between 24 February and 8 March will receive a full refund, followed by cash compensation that is 10 times the amount they were billed,” BBC reported.
Haidilao reportedly operates more than 1,000 restaurants worldwide and, according to the BBC, “is known for its customer service and family-friendly atmosphere, where ladies can receive manicures and kids are treated to candy floss while waiting for a table.
