Haidilao to reimburse customers over 'urinating' incident

Hotpot chain Haidilao has said it will offer full refunds along with tenfold compensation to customers after the "urinating in hotpot" scandal.

The chain said in a statement that 4,109 customers who visited Haidilao's outlet on the Bund from February 24 to March 8 will get a full refund for their meals, in addition to receiving ten times the amount of their bill as compensation.

The incident started after two 17-year-old boys urinated into a hotpot, recorded it and posted it online.

On March 6, Haidilao identified the outlet in Shanghai.

On March 8, authorities from the Shanghai Huangpu police confirmed that two individuals, who were intoxicated at the time, had been placed under administrative detention.

On March 10, the company initiated additional legal proceedings by filing a lawsuit against the two boys.

Haidilao announced that they had replaced all hotpot sets, tableware and chopsticks, and had carried out a comprehensive disinfection process.

The incident garnered widespread attention, and Haidilao has pledged to improve administration to prevent future incidents.