World  | 

Parents Must Pay $300K After Teens' Soup Prank

China's largest hotpot chain had sought damages of more than $3M over drunken stunt
Posted Sep 17, 2025 2:55 PM CDT
Parents Must Pay $300K After Teens' Soup Prank
Not the soup in question.   (Getty Images)

Peeing into a pot of broth at China's largest hotpot chain has landed two teenagers a rather large bill: $309,000. The Shanghai 17-year-olds filmed the drunken February stunt—in which NBC News reports they took turns urinating in a pot in a private dining room at Haidilao and posted it online—prompting a nationwide debate over reputation, responsibility, and restaurant hygiene. Haidilao had sought more than $3 million in total damages, citing compensation offered to more than 4,000 diners, including full refunds and cash payouts 10 times the bill amount. However, the Shanghai court determined that this extra compensation was voluntary and not the teens' responsibility, reports the BBC.

The court ruled that the teens' actions infringed on the restaurant's property rights and reputation, noting their behavior contaminated tableware and triggered public outrage; no diners consumed the tainted broth. The penalty includes about $276,000 for operational and reputational harm, $18,000 for tableware loss and cleaning, and $9,800 in legal fees. The court also found the parents "failed to fulfill their duty of guardianship" and ordered them to pay the damages.

In response to the incident, Haidilao replaced all hotpot equipment at the branch and undertook extensive cleaning. The chain, which has grown to more than 1,000 locations worldwide and is known for its customer service, said it acted to maintain its reputation for cleanliness and hospitality.

Read These Next
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X