Hong Kong (CNN) – A restaurant chain in southern China has issued a public apology for weighing diners before entering the property as part of a nationwide campaign to reduce food waste.
Customers entering the popular Hunan chain Chuiyan Fried Beef, in the city of Changsha, were asked to venture out on a set of scales and provide personal information. The restaurant would then suggest menu items based on their physique.
The guide recommended customers order different dishes based on the person’s weight and the calorie content of the food. For example, women weighing less than 40 kilograms (88 pounds), the chain’s signature and a fish head were recommended, while men weighing more than 80 kilograms (175 pounds) were recommended dishes, including braised pork belly.
Signs prompted the restaurant to encourage diners to “clean your plate” and “be frugal and eager.”
Against online allegations of fat shame, Chuiyan told Fried Beef in a statement Saturday that it was trying to help curb food spoilage. The restaurant chain said customers were not forced to step on the scale – and although it deeply regretted the ‘controversy’, it would still allow customers to venture out to its stores.
“Netizens are welcome to come to the store to experience it and give their comments and suggestions,” the statement said.
CNN’s Steven Jiang has contributed to this article.
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