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Chinese hotpot giant Haidilao is facing public outrage after a shocking video surfaced showing two diners urinating into their hotpot broth at a Shanghai outlet. The incident, which went viral online, has prompted the restaurant chain to offer compensation to over 4,000 affected customers.
Earlier, two individuals were detained by Shanghai Police for allegedly urinating into a hotpot at a Haidilao outlet. (Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 14, 2025 14:33 IST
Chinese hotpot giant Haidilao has pledged compensation to over 4,000 customers after a viral video showed two men urinating into a broth at one of its Shanghai outlets. The incident, which sparked public outrage, has led to the detention of the two individuals and a civil lawsuit filed by the restaurant chain.
The video, which surfaced online late last month, captured the men committing the act while dining in a private room on 24 February. Haidilao said it only became aware of the situation four days later and initially struggled to confirm the location due to shortcomings in staff training and monitoring procedures. The company identified the Shanghai outlet on 6 March.
“We fully understand that the distress caused to our customers by this incident cannot be fully compensated for by any means,” Haidilao said in a statement. “We are willing to do our utmost to take responsibility.”
While the restaurant chain has not disclosed the exact compensation amount, it has offered refunds to all customers who dined at the branch between 24 February and 8 March.
Shanghai police confirmed that two 17-year-old men, identified by their surnames, Tang and Wu, have been placed in administrative detention. Haidilao has also filed a civil lawsuit against them.
Founded in Sichuan in 1994, Haidilao has grown into one of China’s largest and most popular hotpot chains, boasting over 1,000 locations worldwide, including in the United States. Known for its high-end service and interactive dining experience, the company admitted its staff were unprepared to handle such an unprecedented incident.
The case has sparked concerns about food safety, with some questioning whether proper sanitation measures were implemented before the restaurant continued serving customers.
Despite the controversy, Haidilao has vowed to improve its training protocols and reinforce food safety standards to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Published By:
Meghna Barik
Published On:
Mar 14, 2025
