Xiamen Cafe Serves Smaller Drinks Than Advertised

When a customer in Xiamen finished his 700cc lemon honey green tea and poured in a 500ml bottle of water, the cup nearly overflowed—suggesting the drink was far short of the advertised volume. That moment sparked a closer look at whether drink sizes at a local chain were misleading customers.

The short answer: the "700cc" drink tested held only around 600cc—about 14% less than labeled. Similar tests on a 500cc and 400cc drink showed more accurate volumes, but the largest size was significantly underfilled.

What the Investigation Found

Reporters visited a branch of the local chain Lao Sai Action Coffee and reviewed its menu, which clearly lists drink sizes as 400cc, 500cc, and 700cc—all defined by the staff as the actual volume of liquid in the cup. Prices for a 500cc and 700cc original milk tea were 6 yuan and 8 yuan respectively, with no ice added.

Three drinks were purchased for testing: a 400cc latte, a 500cc original milk tea, and a 700cc original milk tea. Back at the lab, each was carefully poured into a graduated beaker to measure actual volume. The 400cc latte measured roughly 400cc, and the 500cc milk tea was similarly accurate. But the 700cc milk tea fell short—pouring out to only around 600cc total (about 350cc the first pour, then 250cc the second). When testers added 700ml of water to the empty 700cc cup, it overflowed, confirming the cup’s true capacity matched the label, but the drink did not.

How Significant Is the Shortfall?

The 700cc drink’s actual volume was 600cc, a 100cc difference per cup. That 14% shortfall might seem small per drink, but it adds up quickly. If a branch sells 100 of these 700cc drinks daily, that’s 10,000cc (or 10 liters) of product not being served. Those 100 cups could instead make 25 cups of 400cc drink or 20 cups of 500cc drink using the same ingredients.

What the Experts and Authorities Say

The reporters consulted China’s consumer complaint hotline 12315. Officials confirmed that consistently serving less than the advertised volume can be considered consumer fraud. The customer who first noticed the discrepancy, Mr. Shen, said he planned to file a formal complaint. The 12315 team advised that any customer who receives less product than advertised has grounds to complain to consumer protection authorities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What drink sizes are standard at Lao Sai Action Coffee?

Lao Sai Action Coffee lists three standard drink sizes on its menu: 400cc, 500cc, and 700cc. These sizes refer to the volume of liquid in the cup, not including ice.

Which drink size was found to be underfilled?

The 700cc original milk tea was the size tested and found to be underfilled. It measured only around 600cc, approximately 14% less than the advertised volume.

How did testers measure the actual drink volume?

Reporters used a laboratory-grade beaker to pour each drink out and measure its volume directly. For the 700cc drink, two separate pours were needed to capture all the liquid, totaling about 600cc.

What happens if a café serves less than the advertised drink size?

According to China’s 12315 consumer complaint service, consistently underfilling drinks can be classified as consumer fraud. Customers who receive less than the advertised amount can file a complaint with local consumer protection authorities.

Did other drink sizes also fall short?

The 400cc latte and 500cc original milk tea were both measured and found to be close to their advertised volumes. The significant shortfall was only observed in the 700cc drink.

How much extra profit could underfilling generate for a café?

If a café sells 100 700cc drinks a day but only provides 600cc each, they effectively withhold enough product to make an additional 25 cups of 400cc or 20 cups of 500cc drinks using the same ingredients.

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