Introduction:A hilarious video of a coffee shop employee kneeling and begging for mercy after mistakenly using a red cleaning towel has sparked heated online discussion. Behind this seemingly absurd scene lies the strict food safety standards imposed by chain coffee brands. Different colored cleaning towels are designated for specific purposes, and using the wrong one can result in fines or even dismissal. This article delves into the industry management regulations behind the incident and shares practical tips on using cleaning tools to help professionals avoid common pitfalls.
Recently, a short video allegedly filmed by a Luckin Coffee employee went viral on social media. In the footage, an employee is seen wiping a table with a red-trimmed towel, only to be immediately stopped and have the towel taken away by a colleague. Soon after, multiple employees collectively kneel and press their palms together toward the surveillance camera in a pleading gesture. This absurd scene unexpectedly resonated within the food and beverage industry—revealing that different colored cleaning towels have strict usage guidelines, and using the wrong one is considered a violation.
As seen in the video, the red towel used by the employee is typically reserved for contact with food-related areas, such as wiping the mouths of ingredient bottles or the rims of packaging cups. Meanwhile, non-food-contact areas inside the bar, like countertops or machinery, must be cleaned with towels of other colors to avoid cross-contamination.This color-coded management system is a key measure for chain coffee brands to control hygiene risks..
Industry insiders note that if an employee mistakenly uses a red towel to clean the bar counter, it constitutes a violation of protocol. Once caught by auditors via surveillance, the consequences can range from verbal warnings and salary deductions to impacting the overall evaluation of the store.Accumulating multiple violations may lead to the employee’s dismissal, and could even result in fines or temporary closure for the store itself..
Due to the severity of these penalties, many baristas have developed the habit of immediately admitting mistakes to the camera when they spot errors. Some employees admit they’ve even felt tempted to kneel and beg for forgiveness to avoid fines, hoping the auditors would sense their remorse through the footage.Such pressure has given rise to a culture of self-deprecating humor as a coping mechanism,as seen in the kneeling scene from the video.
However, this behavior has drawn criticism from outsiders. Some netizens argue that while brands have the right to enforce hygiene standards, the punishment is excessively harsh, forcing frontline staff to compromise their dignity to evade responsibility.The public questions whether such management practices overly infringe on personal dignity..
Observers also point out that younger generations often use abstract or exaggerated videos to express their “mental states,” but joking about kneeling over a towel mix-up can easily backfire and provoke backlash.While such videos may stem from internal humor, they risk leaving a negative impression of the brand on outsiders..
Image source: Xiaohongshu
This incident also serves as a reminder to the industry that while establishing strict hygiene protocols, a balance must be struck with humane management and respect for employee dignity. For professionals, understanding the correct usage and classification of various cleaning tools is a crucial foundation for avoiding unnecessary mistakes.It is recommended that brands, while strengthening audit systems, also provide clear operational guidelines and reasonable management flexibility..
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
