“Chinese Chagee Employee Uses Bare Hands to Prepare Drinks, Store Shut Down Immediately”

Chagee, a popular tea chain, has temporarily closed one of its stores in Fujian, China, after a video surfaced showing an employee handling beverages with bare hands. The employee has since been terminated.

Viral footage revealed the staff member, wearing a Chagee uniform and mask, manipulating ingredients without gloves, stirring drinks with bare hands, and pouring tea into cups. Spilled ingredients were also returned to customers’ drinks in an unsanitary manner.

In a statement on January 6, Chagee confirmed the incident occurred at its Longwen Baolong Plaza store in Zhangzhou, Fujian. Internal investigations and surveillance footage indicated the employee intentionally filmed the act to gain online attention, labeling it as “Indian-style tea.” The company clarified the contaminated drink was discarded and never served to a customer.

Chagee emphasized its tea production relies entirely on automated equipment, stating the employee’s actions severely violated the company’s food safety standards. The company underscored its commitment to food safety and ethical business practices, vowing zero tolerance for such behavior.

The store will remain closed indefinitely until it passes rigorous inspections. The involved employee, who allegedly concealed the act by claiming it occurred after closing hours, has been dismissed. The store manager and regional supervisor have also been demoted.

The incident exposed gaps in employee training and daily supervision. Chagee pledged to address these issues by implementing stricter standards across all operations.

Source: CNA