Haidilao in Hot Water: Chain Apologizes for Price Hike, Restores Original Menu

Haidilao, everyone’s favorite hot pot chain, finally reopened its locations around China last week, but loyal customers quickly noticed that something was off. Like a student who had come back from summer break with a new look, Haidilao had come back with something new as well – newly jacked up prices, a full six percent higher than when the chain closed its restaurant doors back in January.

News that the company, known for its great value among a plethora of similar restaurants specializing in spicy boiled meats and veggies, would dare to take advantage of its customers’ excitement for its return was met with outrage. With their calculators in hand, netizens took to Weibo, where they estimated that under the new prices, a single potato slice would cost RMB 1.5, while a bowl of rice would cost RMB 7.

Haidilao quickly realized that it had misstepped, and retracted the decision to alter its prices, giving rise to the hashtag #海底捞就涨价致歉# (Haidilao apologizes for new price increases).

The company also offered an apology, stating that this “error at the management level” had “harmed the interest of [its] customers.”

To show they are really sorry, Haidilao says it will knock up to 31 percent off of their prices (though it's not clear if this applies to all menu items) until Apr 25. The company also emphasized that it will seek feedback from customers before making such rash decisions in the future.

While the restoration of original prices is sure to win over some customers, others have speculated that Haidilao is pulling a New-Coke (also known as a Ryan Air), deliberately seeking bad press in order to increase brand awareness, and have orchestrated the whole shenanigan as a marketing ploy.

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Images: The Broad Life, Weibo