Zhengzhou Burger Shop Wins Praise for Refunding Every Customer, Even 1-Yuan Balances, Before Closing

A burger shop in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, has won praise after refunding every customer's remaining balance before leaving its location, including accounts with just over 1 yuan (15 US cents), Dahei Daily reported today.

The shop closed after its contract expired. Before leaving, it posted notices on WeChat and promised to return customers' unused balances by July 1.

One parent said she had put 200 yuan on a card because her child liked the burgers and the shop was close to school. She said the refund arrived on the morning of July 1 as promised. Another customer received a refund of 74.4 yuan, while the shop's smallest refund was slightly more than 1 yuan.

The shop had been popular with children after school, but parents expressed regret when they found it had been removed by August 4. The brand's Henan headquarters said the location might reopen nearby after a temporary break and that staff were looking for another site.

The brand's founder, who answered the headquarters' public phone number himself, said the shop refunded several tens of thousands of yuan in total. He said honesty and reliability were basic principles of doing business and that the company was simply staying true to them.

The founder said he opened the brand's first Zhengzhou shop in 2017 and began expanding it as a chain in 2021. The brand now has more than 50 stores across Henan, including more than 30 in Zhengzhou, with a mix of directly operated and franchised locations.

He said the company focuses on quality, honesty and practicality. He also said he keeps his personal phone number as the headquarters' public contact so he can receive customer complaints and suggestions directly.