Teens Fined $309,000 For Urinating In Hotpot Soup In China

By NINI NDUONOFIT-AKOH

TWO 17-year-old boys in Shanghai have been ordered to pay 2.2 million yuan ($309,000) after urinating into a pot of broth at a Haidilao hotpot restaurant and posting the act online.

The February incident sparked public outrage, though no diners consumed the contaminated soup. Haidilao compensated more than 4,000 customers with refunds and extra payments, while also replacing all hotpot equipment and disinfecting the restaurant.

A Shanghai court ruled last Friday that the teens had damaged the companies’ property rights and reputation, and ordered their parents to bear the cost for failing in their duty of guardianship.

The compensation covers 2m yuan for reputational harm, 130,000 yuan for equipment losses, and 70,000 yuan in legal fees. However, the court ruled Haidilao’s extra payouts to customers were voluntary and not the teens’ responsibility.

Haidilao, China’s largest hotpot chain with over 1,000 outlets worldwide, is famed for its customer service and family-friendly dining experience.