New Delhi:
Haidilao, one of China’s biggest restaurant chains, has promised compensation to thousands of customers after a video of a customer urinating into a hotpot at the restaurant went viral. The video, which was shot last month, shows a man standing on a table at a Haidilao outlet in Shanghai and urinating into a hotpot with boiling broth. Another man was allegedly involved in the disgusting act.
Haidiliao has apologised for the incident and said it was taking legal action against those responsible. “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.
“As management had never made contingency plans or given training for dealing with this type of incident, staff at our branch were unable to detect any abnormalities at the scene or uphold the safety of the dining environment,” it said.
Two boys have been detained by Shanghai police for allegedly urinating into a hotpot at an outlet of famous restaurant #Haidilao, police officers announced on Saturday.
In the video, the man also laughed and said that the restaurant, Haidilao, China’s hotpot chain, had launched a… pic.twitter.com/WeT0QSliDH— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) March 8, 2025
The restaurant said it would compensate any customer involved in the 4,100 orders received between February 24 and March 8, equivalent to a full refund plus a lump sum of 10 times that amount. Shanghai police said two 17-year-olds had been detained in connection with the incident.
Haidilao is popular for its service and menu, including its broth. It has expanded its presence outside China and opened outlets in the US, Japan and the UK.
Amid the outrage over the urination video, users of China’s microblogging site Weibo accused Haidilao of delayed response. “Where was this (apology) at the beginning? Wouldn’t it have been better to say this right from the start,” one comment said, according to an AFP report.
China made headlines for poor food hygiene standards earlier this week too when state media reported unhygienic practices at some stores of a key chain of braised chicken restaurants, including use of rotting ingredients and recycling of leftover meals, AFP reported.