Chagee outlet in Fujian suspended after viral videos show employee preparing drink with bare hands
The employee involved has been dismissed, and the outlet in Zhangzhou, Fujian, will remain suspended until it passes strict inspections, the company said.
In videos circulating online, a Chagee employee is seen handling drink ingredients without gloves, stirring the drink with her bare hands and pouring tea over her hands into the cup. (Screengrab: X/Byron_Wan)
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Chinese milk tea chain Chagee has suspended an outlet in Fujian, China, and fired an employee after videos of the same worker preparing a drink with her bare hands went viral, the company said in a statement on its Weibo account on Tuesday (Jan 6).
In videos circulating online, the masked employee, wearing a Chagee uniform, is seen handling drink ingredients without gloves, stirring the drink with her bare hands and pouring tea over her hands into the cup.
She is also seen scooping ingredients that had fallen onto the countertop back into the drink before stirring it again.
In its Jan 6 statement, Chagee said the incident took place at its outlet in Longwen Baolong Plaza in Zhangzhou, Fujian, China.
Following internal investigations and a review of surveillance footage, the company said the employee had filmed the video in an attempt to generate online traffic, claiming it was an effort to make "Indian-style milk tea".
Chagee added that the employee had made the drink using leftover ingredients shortly before closing time.
Surveillance footage also showed that the drink was disposed of immediately after filming and was not sold, the company said.
The outlet has since undergone cleaning and disinfection, it added.
Chagee said its tea production relies entirely on automated equipment, adding that the employee's actions had severely violated the company's food safety standards.
The company said it was "shocked and outraged" by the incident, adding that the conduct "completely deviated" from its commitment to food safety and honest business practices, and that it would not tolerate the trivialisation of food safety practices.
The outlet will be suspended indefinitely and will only reopen after passing strict inspections, Chagee said.
The employee involved – whom Chagee said had attempted to cover up her actions by claiming they took place after closing hours – has been dismissed.
The store's manager and regional supervisor have also been demoted, the company added.
The incident, it added, has highlighted gaps in staff training and daily supervision, which the company said it will address by applying stricter standards across its operations.
