What Happened in the Lao Xiang Ji and Starbucks Coffee Spill?

The chain chicken soup brand Lao Xiang Ji posted an apology to Starbucks over a spilled hot coffee, and the post drew wide attention online. Starbucks did not pursue blame and instead asked in the comments whether Lao Xiang Ji staff had been scalded by the drink. Lao Xiang Ji followed up in person with a handwritten apology letter and free chicken soup coupons.

Netizens turned the exchange into a running joke, urging the two brands to release chicken soup cold brew, chicken soup Americano, and chicken soup latte. Because no coffee shop has tried savory coffee products, the idea spread quickly. The sincere response won praise, and the episode became a case study for coffee knowledge and brand public relations.

The chain chicken soup brand Lao Xiang Ji unexpectedly went viral online due to a post apologizing to Starbucks. After the incident, Starbucks not only did not blame them, but also expressed concern about whether Lao Xiang Ji employees had been scalded by the hot drink. This interaction sparked heated discussions among netizens, who eagerly urged the two brands to collaborate on creative products like chicken soup cold brew and chicken soup Americano. Lao Xiang Ji then visited with a handwritten apology letter and free chicken soup coupons to apologize in person, winning widespread praise for their sincere attitude. This article will provide a complete overview of the incident, the public relations strategies of both sides, and the amusing reactions of netizens, while also presenting professional content related to the coffee industry and product information from Front Street Coffee.

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Why did a post apologizing to Starbucks attract so much attention? The reason is that the poster is none other than the chain chicken soup brand Lao Xiang Ji, which is popular across much of China. Although the scene is hard to look at, onlookers suppressed their laughter while watching the excitement with great interest. Many netizens said bluntly: "I suspect you did it on purpose, but I have no proof." A slew of official accounts, including Hongxing Erke, Meiling, and Guangzhou Zhengjia Plaza, also rushed over to watch, enjoying the spectacle thoroughly.

Starbucks' official account soon appeared in the comments section. Instead of pursuing responsibility, it expressed concern about whether Lao Xiang Ji had been scalded by the hot coffee.

At this, netizens who love shipping pairs began acting as matchmakers, bridging Lao Xiang Ji and Starbucks and calling on the two to collaborate quickly on chicken soup cold brew, chicken soup Americano, and chicken soup latte, which would surely sweep the globe! After all, no coffee shop has yet tried savory coffee products.

Lao Xiang Ji probably did not expect its apology to become so popular. Perhaps spilling the coffee was indeed an accident, but since the hype came, they took the opportunity to promote their brand again. The next day, the official account brought a handwritten apology letter in "elementary school chicken scratch" and free chicken soup coupons to the Starbucks store where the incident occurred, sincerely apologizing once more for the cleaning trouble they had caused.

This led netizens obsessed with shipping the pair to imagine even more outrageous collaboration products: croissants with chicken in the stars, specialty chicken pour-over, and chicken-Chu blend beans, and so on. It must be said that Lao Xiang Ji's counter-intuitive move was truly unexpected, letting more netizens learn about the brand while also establishing an image of being able to recognize and correct mistakes, openly admitting them, and sincerely apologizing.

Looking through Lao Xiang Ji's official account, one can see that the brand has always been known for "airing its own dirty laundry" when it comes to quality supervision. As a chain restaurant brand, it is impossible to achieve 100% freedom from hygiene issues in quality control. By frankly admitting and promptly correcting them, the brand not only did not scare away consumers, but actually won more people's trust because of its sincerity.

As for Starbucks' official response this time, its magnanimity also won praise from many. Quite a few people said that if they had accidentally spilled a drink somewhere else and soiled the window glass, floor, and table, they would probably have to clean it up and mop the floor before being allowed to leave.

In any case, in this apology incident, both brands showed the magnanimity that doing business should have.

If what had been spilled this time were not Starbucks but Luckin, then perhaps without netizens having to remind them, the next Luckin new product really would have something to do with chicken soup. After all, both brands understand young people's minds very well; both are masters of "anti-traditional marketing" and "rustic marketing," playing with and creating memes.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.