Haidilao Offers Compensation to Diners After Disturbing Incident

In a bid to regain customer trust, Haidilao has decided to offer full refunds and significant compensation after an unsettling event involving two teenagers urinating in a hotpot broth.

Haidilao, the renowned Chinese hotpot chain, has announced its plan to compensate more than 4,000 customers who dined at one of its Shanghai locations where two underage teenagers were caught on video urinating into a hotpot broth. The disturbing footage, which sparked outrage online, showed the intoxicated 17-year-olds committing the act in a private dining room last month. Authorities reported the boys' detention shortly after the incident, but fortunately, no one ingested the contaminated broth.

In response to the scandal, Haidilao has issued an apology to its patrons, revealing that they have replaced all hotpot equipment and dining utensils at that location and have also sanitized other items used for service. The episode occurred at the end of February, but management only became aware of it days later when the clip went viral on social media.

The chain explained that staff present during the incident failed to intervene, leading to further investigation to identify the specific outlet involved, which took an additional week due to the numerous establishments in Shanghai. Diners at Haidilao are responsible for using individual hotpot equipment, and normally, broths are not reused for others. However, there remains uncertainty over whether the specific hotpot was adequately disinfected prior to further use.

"We fully acknowledge 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 stated. As part of their compensation plan, anyone who dined at the affected outlet between February 24 and March 8 will receive a complete refund, along with cash compensation equaling ten times their original bill.

Founded in Jianyang, Sichuan Province, Haidilao has rapidly expanded, boasting over 1,000 restaurants worldwide. The chain is celebrated for its exceptional customer service and family-friendly environment, which includes perks like manicures for women and candy floss for children while they wait for a table.