An outlet of the popular South Indian restaurant chain, Rameshwaram Cafe, in Hyderabad was recently raided by food safety authorities in Telangana. During the raid on May 23, expired stocks of urad dal (black gram) and dairy products were discovered. In response, the cafe’s co-founder, Raghavendra Rao, issued an apology in a video, which has since sparked controversy on social media.
In the video, Raghavendra Rao admitted to the mistakes and apologized to customers, saying, “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.”
Raghavendra Rao emphasized the cafe’s commitment to quality, stating, “Our vision is to play globally. We know we can’t make a single mistake. I take it as a lesson. I have told my entire team to correct each and every step so that we don’t go wrong anyway. This is how we learn. Again, I promise you that all our raw materials are of premium quality.”
However, his body language in the minute-long video has been criticized by several social media users, who felt it was more intimidating than apologetic. Comments ranged from “Why does it look like he’s intimidating us and not apologising,” to “His aggressive body language is not resonating with his words.”
Food Safety Raids at Hyderabad’s Rameshwaram Outlet:
According to a post on X by Telangana’s food safety commissioner, the raid conducted in Hyderabad’s Madhapur area on May 23 uncovered 100 kg of expired urad dal worth Rs 16,000, and Nandini Curd (10 kg) and milk (8 litres) worth Rs 700. All these items were discarded on the spot.
Rameshwaram Cafe claimed that the expired goods were not intended for consumption but were to be discarded. The management stated that they had taken note of the observations made by the authorities and were already addressing the matter with an internal inquiry to verify the facts and check each outlet.
“The stocks found were sealed and unattended, meant for dispatch and not for consumption,” the statement from the founders, Divya Raghavendra Rao and Raghavendra Rao, said. This establishment had also faced a low-intensity blast in Bengaluru in March this year.
The restaurant has ordered hygiene and standard checks for all its outlets across various states, reaffirming its commitment to providing consumers with the best quality. The management assured full cooperation with the authorities and noted that no show-cause notice had been received.
The statement concluded by emphasizing the restaurant’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of service, hygiene, safety, and consumer welfare.
