Mixue Group faces hygiene scandal amid rapid stock market success

China's largest bubble tea and drinks chain, Mixue Group (2097), has come under fire after a branch in Hubei province was accused of reusing leftover lemon slices left at room temperature overnight.

Flies and insects were spotted on drink cup lids, with a staff member admitting they wouldn’t drink it themselves, Hubei Media Group reported.

The store manager responded by stating that the exposed issues were due to violations of standard operating procedures, but further verification is needed. Local market regulators have investigated the branch, which China Central Television has also picked up.

Meanwhile, some mainland netizens joked, “It’s only 4 yuan (HK$ 4.3) per cup, and they actually use real lemons?”

Mixue Group was officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on March 3, with its stock price surging 43.21 percent on the first day of trading, pushing its market value past HK$100 billion. As of Friday, Mixue’s share price had recorded HK$406, doubling its IPO price.

GORDON YANG