China barbecue chain willingly refunds diners US$162,000 for serving ‘not properly grilled’ food

Lamb skewer eatery says cooking glitch caused by new grilling equipment; offers money back deal despite getting no complaints from diners

A refund initiative launched by a famous barbecue restaurant chain in China has drawn significant attention on mainland social media, triggering a debate about a culture of valuing the feelings of customers.

At the beginning of May, Very Long Ago Lamb Skewers, which has 142 directly managed outlets across the country, contacted customers who ate at 48,000 tables at 24 restaurants in February.

The eatery was offering to refund them half of the bill for the mutton kebab they ate.

The refund, at a combined cost of 1.1 million yuan (US$162,000), was launched not because the company received a wave of complaints from customers, but because it found the roast it served was not “grilled properly”, the Bandao Morning Post reported.

The company explained the problem occurred due to new grilling equipment which did not control temperatures properly.

The news provoked mixed reactions on mainland social media.