Restaurant seeks legal action after TikTok video alleges ‘cheating’ in Mississauga

A Mississauga restaurant dealing with a barrage of complaints has responded with a statement this week.

Farzi Cafe in Square One Shopping Centre responded to a video posted on TikTok, in which a woman describes a recent experience at the cafe. The woman said she and two friends went for dinner and were charged for items they didn’t order. The server gave them an appetizer even though they said they only wanted main dishes.

A dinner of three main dishes and three Diet Cokes came to $240, she said in the video.

She said the restaurant didn’t give them an itemized bill, so they checked the menu online to calculate the total.

“It didn’t add up,” she said. “It’s not about $39, it’s about the fact that they are doing this to people intentionally, they are cheating their customers and hoping nobody will notice.”

The video has hundreds of comments and prompted a response from the cafe.

In a statement on Instagram, Farzi Cafe Mississauga said they are aware of the video circulating on social media.

“While we respect everyone’s right to their opinion, it becomes deeply concerning when personal views are deliberately laced with baseless allegations for the sake of attention without considering the potential harm such claims can cause to our business, our hardworking team, and their families,” the post read.

The restaurant continued to say that in today’s economy, job security is fragile and management has worked to retain every member of the team.

“Reckless and false narratives can directly impact the livelihoods of innocent employees who dedicate themselves to serving our guest with care and commitment,” the post read.

The cafe said they are pursuing legal action and thanked their loyal customers for continuing to support them.

When reached by INsauga.com, a spokesperson for the restaurant said the official statement is posted on social media and they “stand by that position.”

Dozens of complaints on TripAdvisor allege similar “aggressive” and “misleading” upselling. Many say they thought items were complimentary for happy hour but were surprised to find the food on their bill.

One of many comments on TripAdvisor complaining about Farzi Cafe Mississauga.

Many customers allege the servers didn’t provide itemized bills and they didn’t realize they were overcharged.

“The ‘manager’ arrived with a credit card machine, skipping the bill entirely,” said one New Yorker who has over 400 reviews on the platform. “After requesting an itemized receipt, they took an unusually long time…”

Similar complaints date back to 2023 on TripAdvisor. There is also a thread on Reddit from last year and more comments on Google Reviews.

The Better Business Bureau gives Farzi Cafe Mississauga an “F” for failure to respond to four complaints filed against the business and 21 complaints filed against the business.

The owner of the Farzi Cafe franchise in India, Massive Restaurants also commented on this week on the situation.

Massive Restaurants owner Zorawar Kalra stated that the Farzi Cafe Mississauga franchise was terminated in April 2024. Kalra said the matter is in court.