Social media has recently been flooded with outrage over suspicious restaurants on Zomato in Chandigarh, which were offering single dishes with peculiar names at exorbitant prices. These listings, flagged by users, triggered widespread criticism and raised concerns about the platform’s regulatory policies. Addressing the uproar, Zomato has now responded to the issue on the social media platform X.
Zomato Addresses ‘Single Dish’ Restaurant Controversy
The controversy revolved around unusual “single dish” restaurants listed on Zomato, offering items with names like “Naughty Strawberry” and “Merry Berry.” These listings raised suspicions of fraudulent practices and possible exploitation of loopholes in Zomato’s system.
Zomato Takes Action
In response to the concerns, Zomato delisted all suspicious outlets and launched a broader investigation into other limited-menu restaurants on its platform to ensure compliance with its policies. On X, Zomato stated:
“We have noticed social media conversations around single-dish restaurants listed on Zomato. We have identified all such restaurants that were potentially fraudulent and have delisted them from our platform. To solve this more comprehensively, we have also investigated all other restaurants which have a very limited menu on Zomato and might have listed prohibited items or worked around a way to list prohibited items.”
The company clarified that all listed restaurants must possess a valid FSSAI license and adhere to strict guidelines prohibiting the sale of items like alcohol and tobacco. However, it acknowledged that some restaurants circumvented these measures by using generic food names, such as “Naughty Strawberry” and “Merry Berry.”
“As per our policy, all restaurants listed on Zomato need to have a FSSAI license and we also actively block items such as alcohol, cigarettes/cigars/vapes from being listed on our platform. However, the restaurants highlighted were able to game our checks by using generic food names such as, ‘Naughty strawberry’, ‘Merry Berry’.”
Strengthening Fraud Prevention
Zomato assured users that it has now reinforced its fraud detection systems to prevent similar incidents in the future. The platform stated:
We have further strengthened our fraud checks to proactively identify such cases to avoid similar incidents in the future.”
We have noticed social media conversations around single-dish restaurants listed on Zomato.
We have identified all such restaurants that were potentially fraudulent and have delisted them from our platform. To solve this more comprehensively, we have also investigated all other…
— zomato (@zomato) November 20, 2024
Origins of the Controversy
The issue came to light after a Reddit post highlighted suspicious restaurants in Chandigarh’s Nayagaon offering single dishes with unusual names like “Citrus Punch” and “Blue Adventure” at steep prices. Some social media users speculated that these listings could be fronts for illegal activities, such as drug dealing. One X user shared an experience of placing an order from such a restaurant, only for it to be rejected, after which the restaurant stopped accepting orders altogether.
Suspicious “one-dish” restaurants on Zomato (Chandigarh)
byu/torinotor inindia
Zomato’s Commitment to Trust
Zomato’s swift action to delist these suspicious restaurants underscores its dedication to addressing user concerns and maintaining trust. While the incident raised questions about platform oversight, Zomato’s proactive response demonstrates its commitment to safeguarding the trust it has earned over the years.
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