Takeout Coffee Filled with Ants?! Restaurant Responds They Gave the Wrong Order

A Coffee Delivery Gone Wrong in Yunnan

On March 24, a user posted on Xiaohongshu and Douyin about ordering a hot coffee from a Chinese breakfast shop in Yunnan. After the delivery arrived, the user — busy studying for an exam — did not check the order carefully and went straight for a straw. Instead of the energizing coffee they expected, they got a mouthful of ants.

- Image source: Xiaohongshu user "Ahhhhhhh Lin Bao"

The photos the user posted show that what arrived was not the hot coffee they had ordered but a cup of black ants soaking in a yellow liquid. According to the post, the order was placed around 7 a.m., when nearby coffee shops had not yet opened, so the user chose a Chinese breakfast shop instead.

Because an important exam was scheduled that day, the user did not verify the order after receiving it and went back to studying. It was only after getting into a Didi ride that they finally tried to drink it. Noticing the strange taste and realizing it was not hot coffee, the user took photos and videos and contacted the merchant to sort the matter out once the exam was over.

- Image source: Xiaohongshu user "Ahhhhhhh Lin Bao"

Merchant Response and Compensation

The merchant explained that an employee had made a mistake and offered a full refund at the coffee's original price, while having the employee involved apologize to the user. According to the user, the employee was a 60-year-old woman who had accidentally mixed up the coffee with the ants used in their Dai ethnic cuisine, and who was willing to apologize in person. Considering her age, the user did not ask her to come and apologize. Still, the user felt a full refund was not a sincere apology and refused the offer.

What Went Wrong

Objectively, any consumer receiving such a "coffee" would be shocked, regardless of whether these ants are nutritious or expensive. They are not a food everyone can accept. More to the point, the consumer ordered coffee, not the "nutritious food" the merchant referred to, so the value of the food itself cannot provide psychological balance. On top of that, the merchant failed to verify the order before delivery, did not ensure basic protection for consumer health, and neglected food safety.

- Image source: Xiaohongshu user "Ahhhhhhh Lin Bao"

Ants aside, the customer ordered a hot coffee, which normally should not be packaged in a PET beverage cup. If a merchant sells hot beverages, it should train employees to use appropriate packaging. Although the merchant responded that there had been a mix-up, had the employee apologize, and offered a full refund, it gave no explanation for why the order was not checked before being sent out.

Resolution and Final Thoughts

After the incident, we contacted the user who posted about it. She said the merchant reached out after seeing her Douyin video. The merchant said they had consulted the relevant authorities and learned that for such mistakes — delivering food different from what was ordered — they would be required to provide triple compensation. Believing the incident had affected the user's mood for the day, and that the Douyin post had done significant harm to their business, they transferred 200 yuan as compensation, apologized sincerely, and hoped the user would understand the difficulties of running a restaurant.

- Conversation with user "Lin Bao"

The user said she did not want to pursue the matter further, but that this did not mean she accepted what had happened. She added that she did not hide the video or post because she wanted to hold the merchant accountable, but because it was a personal experience she wanted to share. After all, anyone would find such a scene unacceptable. The user later negotiated with the merchant, who acknowledged the seriousness of the incident.

The episode is a reminder to check delivery orders on the spot, no matter what you ordered. It is also a reminder to merchants to learn from this example: problems cannot be waved away with "running a restaurant isn't easy." When selling food to the public, merchants should safeguard consumer health and safety. Even if these ants were safe to eat, they were never on the menu for customers to choose, and they were not what the customer ordered.

- Conversation with user "Lin Bao"

Finally, a word of caution: as coffee has grown more popular, many Chinese breakfast shops have started offering it too. For coffee delivery, it is still best to order from a specialized coffee shop. When that is not possible, ready-to-drink coffee is a good alternative.

Image sources: Screenshots from Xiaohongshu and Douyin

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If you would rather not gamble on your morning coffee, FrontStreet Coffee's own Yunnan beans are a dependable place to start. FrontStreet Yunnan Xiaoli comes from the Baoshan region, washed and medium roasted, with soft nut and chocolate sweetness, a light plum acidity, and a price that makes it many drinkers' first taste of Yunnan coffee.

For a clearer expression of the region, FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan Sun-dried Typica goes a step further. FrontStreet built its own estate in 2013 and planted a block of Typica — one of the oldest and purest Arabica varieties — using only fully ripe red cherries and natural processing. Medium roasted for balance and brighter acidity, it shows dark berry tones, caramel sweetness, chocolate, a hint of dried apricot, and a black-tea finish.

For espresso with a Yunnan accent, FrontStreet Dark Cocoa Blend pairs Yunnan Xiaoli with Brazil Cerrado: the Brazil side supplies mixed-nut aroma and a balanced body, while the Yunnan side carries chocolate and citrus. Pulled as an Americano it is balanced across sweet, sour, and bitter with nut and brown-sugar sweetness; with milk it turns out almond and cream-smooth, which makes it very forgiving for beginners.