The administration in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City has fined a so-called blind dating coffee shop upwards of VND18 million (US$712) for various administrative violations in the wake of the public's negative sentiment against its discreet mirror installation.

The coffee shop, located on Nguyen Trai Street in Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, had earlier come under fire for installing one-way mirrors that allowed men to see the women they were talking to, but not vice versa.

A leader of the district told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that officials had fined H.T.A.D., the owner of Mina Dating Cafe, VND3.5 million ($138.4) for failing to sign employment contracts with its staff.

The coffee shop was also subjected to a fine of VND12.5 million ($494.2) for providing catering services without a food safety certificate, and VND2.25 million ($88.8) for not organizing training courses in fire prevention and control and rescue.

A post about the coffee shop caused controversies on social media earlier this month as the café placed men and women in separate rooms divided by a piece of glass.

Each gender was told the other could not see them. They were given five minutes to chat and decide if they would pair up or not.

In fact, the café used one-way mirrors that enabled men to see the women on the other side, whereas the females were essentially looking at themselves in the mirror.

Apart from the one-way window, men’s seats were considerably lower than women’s, allowing the men to see the lower parts of the female bodies.

As a result, authorities in Ben Thanh Ward inspected the coffee shop, with the fines ensuing.

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