In the late afternoon of November 20, almost a day after the Katinat coffee chain issued a press release explaining the “appearance of inappropriate and non-standard content” on their drink stickers, the incident continued to spark lively discussions on social media.
In their official press release posted on the Katinat Fanpage in the early morning of November 20, Katinat Joint Stock Coffee Company (Katinat) stated that they had investigated and thoroughly examined the incident and its details.
“At 2:45 PM on November 18, an employee at the Katinat store in Diamond Residence, Le Van Luong, Hanoi, took it upon themselves to write additional inappropriate and non-standard content on the drink stickers, contrary to the brand’s regulations and standards,” the press release wrote. “The drink with this sticker was then delivered to a customer.”
A Katinat store in Ho Chi Minh City. Source: Le Tinh
Katinat acknowledged that they “fully understand the seriousness of this incident, which not only affects customers but also severely damages the brand’s reputation.”
After a thorough investigation and clarification of the incident, the coffee chain decided to terminate the violating employee and issue a warning to the store manager for failing to properly supervise the store’s operations.
The chain also mentioned that they had reviewed their entire system for compliance with operating procedures and brand standards to prevent similar incidents from occurring. They have also reached out to the affected customer to offer a direct apology.
“Katinat deeply regrets what has happened and would like to extend our sincere apologies to the individuals involved, our valued customers, and everyone else who has been negatively impacted by this information,” the press release concluded.
Prior to the press release, social media was abuzz with images shared by a Katinat customer who received a bubble tea cup with a sticker that read, “less sugar, less an tay” (less sugar, less [something]).
The brand faced a torrent of critical comments and was compelled to issue a press release within less than 24 hours. The backlash was so intense that they had to lock the comment section on the press release to “prevent potential discussions or misinformation.”
In an interview with Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, a Katinat representative emphasized that this was an impulsive act of humor by an individual employee, which severely violated service standards and ran counter to the brand’s business philosophy and core values.
