A controversy has arisen after a franchise coffee brand The Venti's branch owner was revealed through an online community to have made coffee with hands that were cleaning foot calluses.
On the 9th, a photo was posted on the online community 'Nate Pann' showing a franchise owner of The Venti making coffee with hands that had just been used to remove foot calluses. [Photo by Nate Pann post capture]
According to the food and beverage industry on the 11th, The Venti posted an official apology on its website the day before, stating, "We deeply apologize for the hygiene-related issue that occurred this time," and "We have decided to conduct active and thorough training to raise hygiene awareness at the store where the issue occurred." They also said, "We sincerely apologize to the customers who were affected and will respond promptly to follow-up procedures to resolve the issue and ensure no discomfort remains."
Earlier, on the 9th, a post titled "Reporting Cafe Hygiene Issues" was uploaded on an online community called 'Nate Pann.' The post included text and photos claiming that a franchise owner of The Venti made coffee with hands that were removing foot calluses.
The author, Mr. A, said, "I paid for coffee through the kiosk and was waiting when the owner, who was cleaning foot calluses inside, suddenly came out and made my coffee. He was still wearing the gloves he used to clean the calluses," adding, "I tried not to care, but I just couldn't drink it. It felt like foot callus powder got into the coffee."
Mr. A later called the head office customer center to explain the situation and requested a refund for the coffee, but he said he received a response from the head office stating, "There is nothing we can do to help, but we will strengthen hygiene education."
The post was viewed nearly 200,000 times within a day and received over 250 comments.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
