Apology or Warning? Rameshwaram Cafe Owner Roasted Over 'Arrogant' Response to Food Inspection

Popular South Indian food chain Rameshwaram Cafe faced major embarrassment following raids by the Telangana food safety department. The officials discovered several issues with the restaurant’s food preparation practices, including 100 kg of expired Urad dal, 10 kg of expired curd, and 8 liters of expired milk. This sparked a wave of criticism on social media against the cafe, which is regarded as one of the premium spots in Bengaluru.

Feeling the heat, the cafe’s co-founder, Raghavendra Rao, addressed the situation in a video posted on X. He admitted to the mistakes and promised to make necessary changes. “We are here to deliver the best product as promised and use the best ingredients forever. We have done little mistakes and I sincerely apologise for it. I would like to convey to the entire customers that we follow (former president) APJ Abdul Kalam’s footsteps,” Rao said in the video.

He added, “You can take any of your pulses and spices. It’s all premium. The vegetables that we use are of premium quality. I request the food safety department to come and do inspections on what type of vegetables we use. These are the things they identified, which are valid and we are here to correct ourselves.”

However, Rao’s video drew criticism for his body language and tone. Many felt his demeanor was unapologetic and even threatening, with finger-pointing gestures that did not sit well with viewers.

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“This doesn’t sound like an apology by far. I’ve been a supporter and customer of Rameshwaram Cafe- but when they charge nearly Rs.200 for a dosa and use bad quality expired ingredients, it is nothing but disregard for the customer,” commented one user. Another echoed, “Personally, do not mind what he is saying – it’s the aggressive body language and tone that I suspect is throwing me (and others) off.”

A third user questioned, “Was this an apology/explanation or warning? Body language says otherwise,” while a fourth remarked, “Not going there after seeing this. He’s threatening the customers.”

Meanwhile, in response to the food authority’s actions, the cafe had previously stated that the expired goods were not meant for consumption but were to be discarded. The management acknowledged the observations made by the authorities at its Hyderabad outlet and assured that they were addressing the issues.