The actions of a Chinese barbecue restaurant boss who knelt down in front of a customer and begged for forgiveness because the queue to get into his premises was too long has shocked mainland social media.

The incident took place in Zibo, a city in the eastern province of Shandong, which thanks to the popularity of its local speciality - barbecued food - has become the most discussed city in China.

Zibo’s profile has risen because of recommendations from online celebrities, to the extent that people are calling it “China’s outdoor barbecue capital”.

This has led to an influx of tourists ahead of the upcoming May Day holiday, prompting the city’s local government to warn that the city’s hotels are full and to advise that tourists visit another time.

The incident involving the kneeling restaurant owner happened on April 27, just as the influx began.

A video circulating on the mainland social media platform Weibo shows a middle-aged man kneeling on the ground and telling an angry man repeatedly: “I beg you, please forgive me.”

In an interview with an online media outlet from the central province of Hubei, an employee of the restaurant said that because it had a limited production capacity, they could only serve 200 people daily.

It is understood that the angry - and unlucky - man was customer number 201.

The employee also said: “Our boss and staff are overworked and only sleep for four hours a day to do our best to shorten customer waiting times.”

The video interview quickly became a hit on Weibo and has been viewed more than eight million times. It has also made it to the top 10 of Weibo’s hot search list.

However, one social media observer who claimed to have been in the queue at the time of the incident told a different version of the events.

He said the angry man began behaving weirdly after repeatedly requesting the boss to expand the quota to let him in and got rejected which prompted the boss to beg for his forgiveness.

The Shanghai Morning Post, an official media outlet, said: “Whatever the situation, the series of actions that led to the argument came from the lack of a dining seat. But even if the queue was long, it is natural to wait by number. Arguing for queue jumping is unreasonable.”

The newspaper also suggested that tourists should not visit Zibo during the May Day holiday.

“The crowds will inevitably affect the experience, which tests the patience of local businesses, citizens and visitors. It’s a good idea to look at the long term if you can’t go in a short time. A good meal is not afraid of being late, and Zibo won’t disappear.”

 - SCMP