A THING OF BEAUTY
they are paraphrasing Keats,
in an otherwise probably undistinguished Korean diner
they're offering free eats.
If she manages not letting
her eyelashes overly droop,
a customer can wind up getting
a free bowl of kimchi soup,
as one the 50 top Things of Beauty
and not too super--annuary---
even if not forever, for such a cutie,
then, at least, for January:
hzl
1/15/16
F
Deal sponsored by cosmetic surgery clinic offered 50 most attractive daily customers free food but attracts wrong kind of official attention
Some say that looks can kill. But in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, they get you a free bowl of kimchi soup.
A Korean eatery called Jeju Island in the capital of Henan province has been offering a special promotion since 10 January: every day, its 50 most attractive customers eat for free.
Before diners are seated, they’re encouraged to scan their faces at a “beauty identification area” in the front of the restaurant, according to online reports. The images are then sent to a panel of “expert” judges from the promotion’s joint sponsor – a local cosmetic surgery clinic.
‘Free food for good-lookers’ promotion lands Chinese eatery in hot water
Deal sponsored by cosmetic surgery clinic offered 50 most attractive daily customers free food but attracts wrong kind of official attention
Some say that looks can kill. But in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou, they get you a free bowl of kimchi soup.
A Korean eatery called Jeju Island in the capital of Henan province has been offering a special promotion since 10 January: every day, its 50 most attractive customers eat for free.
Before diners are seated, they’re encouraged to scan their faces at a “beauty identification area” in the front of the restaurant, according to online reports. The images are then sent to a panel of “expert” judges from the promotion’s joint sponsor – a local cosmetic surgery clinic. According to Xinhua, China’s state newswire, diners’ scores are prominently displayed on the restaurant’s second floor.
The deal quickly attracted media attention, raising the ire of conservative – and perhaps aesthetically challenged – local officials. On Tuesday, urban managementauthorities dismantled a large sign hanging outside the establishment, according to the state-run China News Service. “Pay with your face! If you’re good looking, you can eat for free!” it said, in gaudy neon letters. Below that, in English, it said: “Free meal for good-looking.”
The authorities claimed that the restaurant had “installed an outdoor advertisement without permission” and, somewhat ironically, that it had disturbed “the appearance of the city”.
When contacted by the Guardian, restaurant staff said that it would be “inconvenient” to talk about the turn of events.
“The restaurant has been open for the past half-year – we have many fashionable, young clients, so we teamed up with a plastic surgery clinic for this promotion activity,” the restaurant’s manager Xue Hexin told the news service.
He said he had spent 20,000 yuan (£2,120) on the sign, and had to pay another few thousand for its removal.
While Xue apologised for not “thinking through” his decision to hang the sign, he added that the promotion would continue.
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