Ontario restaurant shuts down in the wake of viral scam allegations

A restaurant in Ontario that found itself at the centre of online controversy earlier this month has officially shut down.

Though it feels like a lifetime ago, it hasn’t even been two weeks since the Farzi Cafe location at Mississauga’s Square One Mall became the talk of TikTok when a video in which the user claimed to have been scammed on a recent visit spawned an online onslaught of accusations against the location.

In the original video, an Ontario resident named Harnoor explains that she and her friends were offered an appetizer plate under the implied pretense that it was included, only to find that they had been charged for it upon checking the bill.

They also learned that they, a group of three, had unwittingly been charged an automatic 18 per cent gratuity, despite the fact that the restaurant claims to only charge automatic gratuity on groups of five or more.

In response, a flood of additional videos making similar claims of scamming and aggressive upselling tactics at Farzi Cafe arose. A number of Google reviews, of which the restaurant has over 7500, make comparable allegations.

Farzi Cafe responded to the allegations with a public statement posted to their Instagram account on June 4, stating that the claims against them were “baseless” and that the chain was pursuing legal action against those who posted videos speaking out against them.

“At Farzi Cafe Mississauga, we remain committed to offering the highest quality innovative fusion food, service, and ambiance,” they wrote in the statement. “We sincerely thank our loyal patrons who support us at this time.”

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Now, still wading through the muck of their recent cancellation, the chain has officially pulled the plug on the location at the centre of the controversy, which just so happens to have also been the chain’s first location in Canada.

The restaurant’s Google listing now bears a “permanently closed” marker to prove it.

Via Google

There was no notice given prior to the restaurant’s closure, nor has any explanation been offered in the days since, so it’s unclear whether the closure occurred in response to the unwanted online attention it had been receiving or another undisclosed reason.

Dished Toronto reached out to Farzi Cafe for comment, but, as of the time of publication, has not yet received a response.