If you love Big Way Hot Pot, you know the drill.
You pile up your bowl, pay by weight, and celebrate with the free ice cream at the end.
It is one of the best distinctively “Metro Vancouver” dining rituals we have.
But one local content creator just pushed the system to its absolute limit.
And people are genuinely worried he might have ruined it for the rest of us.
Jarell Alvarez posted a video on TikTok visiting the Big Way location in New Westminster.
@jarellalvarez Spent just 7¢ at Big Way and got free broth, ice cream, water, candy, amazing service — my ancestors are smiling down on me 😭🙌 – – – – – – #vancouverfoodie #vancouvereats #vancouverfood #vancouverlife #foodievan ♬ original sound – jarellalvarez
Instead of a full meal, he walked up to the ingredients wall and grabbed exactly one leaf of spinach.
He took his single leaf to the counter to be weighed.
The total weight came in at 0.002 kg.
The price?
A measly $0.08.
The system was actually so confused by the low amount that the payment almost didn’t go through.
Here is where the “loophole” kicks in.
Despite paying less than a dime, Alvarez still received the full dining experience.
He got the signature collagen bone broth poured over his single leaf.
He got to use the sauce station.
And yes, he even walked out with the free green tea soft-serve ice cream.
“Sweet victory,” he jokes in the clip while eating the spinach leaf with chopsticks.
While the “infinite food glitch” is objectively funny, the comment section was immediate with their concern.
Locals pointed out that stunts like this are exactly why we can’t have nice things.
“If enough ppl do this it’s going to ruin it for the rest of us,” one user commented.
The fear is that Big Way will be forced to implement a strict “minimum weight” or base cost.
Competitors in the hot pot space, like YGF Malatang, already have these rules in place.
Another user noted, “I’m surprised there isn’t a base price for soup to prevent this kind of thing”.
Between the labour, the broth, and the ice cream, the restaurant undeniably lost money on this transaction.
Big Way has been aggressively expanding recently, opening locations in Toronto and down in the US.
It is a massive local success story.
However, it relies on an honor system that assumes people won’t come in for an 8-cent dinner.
It is unsure if this video will trigger a policy change from head office.
Yes, antics like this (and others) have been done before.
But for the sake of our wallets and our ice cream privileges, please do not try this yourself.
Let’s just enjoy the video and hope the rules stay the same.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.