Customers took the concept behind an all-you-can-eat restaurant in China a bit too literally!
A restaurant called Jiamener, located in the city of Chengdu, was forced to close its doors after just two weeks of a new promotion because customers simply ate too much, the South China Morning Post reports, per the Chengdu Economic Daily.
Jiamener’s $25 all-you-can-eat deal proved to be widely popular and for good reason. The flat fee meant customers would receive a membership card that entitled them to unlimited food for the month. Since patrons reportedly shared their card with family and friends, the volume of meals being consumed on a single purchase was just too much for Jiamener to handle.
In fact, at the height of promotion Jiamener was receiving in excess of 500 customers a day, which translated into long lines forming before the restaurant even opened, and lasting well past the time it was supposed to close. The hot-pot eatery, which had been open since December 2017, is now more than $100,000 in debt.
Co-owner Su Jie explained to the Chengdu Economic Daily part of the restaurant’s failure: “The uncivilized behavior of the diners was secondary – the main problem was our poor management.”
In tweets that have been translated by a local outlet, social media users chastised the owners for thinking such a promotion was a good idea. “You would not dare to play this kind of thinking in China,” wrote one user.
Another added: “Never underestimate our Chinese appetite!”
