Rameshwaram Cafe outlet at Bengaluru airport with staff behind the counter and customers ordering food.
One of the customers in Rameshwaram Cafe outlet within Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru reported finding a worm in his pongal on Thursday morning, raising concerns about food safety. The diner stated the worm was seen just after the meal was served.
The customer also claimed that when he brought the matter to the attention of the restaurant staff, they tried to downplay or cover it up, which has raised suspicions about how the matter was dealt with.
In reaction, co-owners Divya Rao and Raghavendra Rao addressed Hindustan Times in respect of the incident. "We are attempting to make contact with the customer. Appears he is traveling," said Rao.
Divya Rao questioned the validity of the complaint and mentioned previous instances when attempts were allegedly made to discredit the brand's reputation: "We have witnessed such cases in the past when people have pulled worms out of their pockets and employed it to dent the brand's image. We have previously caught it on our CCTV too. When we are at the airport, we don't have access to that. We must investigate. But I am certain this is only one such case to dent our name in the market. We come out with an official release soon," she replied.
Rameshwaram Cafe presently operates five units in Bengaluru, having outlets at JP Nagar, Brookfield, Rajaji Nagar, and Indira Nagar's 100 Feet Road, where the new outlet has been launched. The company is also in the process of launching a new outlet at the airport's Terminal 1 catering to domestic travel.
The cafe has gone beyond Bengaluru to Madhapur in Hyderabad. However, the owners add that they have plans to add one or two more outlets in the city by 2025. However, the owners clarified that there are no immediate plans for expansion into Kerala or Chennai.
