Haidilao, one of China’s largest restaurant chains, is issuing mass refunds after a viral video showed two teenagers urinating into a hotpot.
One of China’s biggest restaurant chains has promised to refund thousands of customers after footage of a patron urinating into a simmering hotpot went viral online, triggering a public outcry.
The clip, filmed last month, appeared to show a young man standing on a table at a Haidilao branch in Shanghai, urinating into a vat of boiling broth.
The video sparked an immediate backlash on social media. Users were venting their anger and disgust at the brazen breach of food safety.
Haidilao confirmed the incident in a social media post on Wednesday, saying it was “extremely sorry” and pursuing legal action.
“In the early hours of February 24, two men urinated into a hotpot after dining in a private room at a Haidilao branch on the Bund in Shanghai,” the company said. It referred to the eastern megacity’s ritzy waterfront promenade.
“Management had never made contingency plans or given training for dealing with this type of incident. Therefore, staff at our branch could not detect any abnormalities at the scene. They were also unable to uphold the dining environment’s safety,” it said.
The restaurant said it would compensate customers involved in the store’s over 4 100 orders between 24 February and 8 March, equivalent to a full refund plus a lump sum of 10 times that amount.
A Shanghai police statement said two 17-year-olds, respectively surnamed Tang and Wu, had been placed in “administrative detention”.
China’s age of criminal responsibility is 16 for most crimes. However, it can be as low as 12 for major offences like murder.
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