A recent incident highlighted concerns about fake restaurants on Zomato when an X user mistakenly placed an order from an imposter outlet. His experience quickly went viral, prompting Zomato to take swift action.
The User’s Experience With a Fake Restaurant
Amit Mantri, a fund manager, took to X to share his experience of ordering from what he believed was Keventers, only to realize later that he had ordered from “Keventerss”—a deceptive imitation. The slight variation in spelling misled him, and he was disappointed with the quality of the food.
Tagging Zomato in his post, Mantri expressed frustration that the issue was not adequately addressed by customer support. He wrote:
“Zomato has a massive fake restaurant problem. Ordered a beverage from Keventers yesterday. Later I realized I had mistakenly ordered from a Keventerss (with a double s) instead which is a sasta [cheap] copy that sells crappy stuff. Chat support was unwilling to do anything about it.”
. @zomato has a massive fake restaurant problem. Ordered a beverage from Keventers yesterday. Later realized I had mistakenly ordered from a Keventerss (with a double s) instead which is a sasta copy that sells crappy stuff. Chat support was unwilling to do anything about it.
— Amit Mantri (@amitmantri) February 2, 2025
Concerns About Customer Trust and Brand Protection
In a follow-up post, Mantri pointed out how such fake listings could harm smaller, legitimate businesses. He also tagged Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, urging him to address the issue, stating:
“I doubt Zomato would allow a fake Starbucks, but smaller brands like Keventers may not have the resources to fight back. While commissions from these fake restaurants might be lucrative, I hope Zomato realizes the damage it does to customer trust.”
I doubt @zomato would dare allow a fake Starbucks but smaller players like Keventers probably can’t fight back. While I am sure the commissions from these fake restaurants are great but hope @deepigoyal understands how badly it hurts customer loyalty.
— Amit Mantri (@amitmantri) February 2, 2025
I guess as organizations become too dominant they shift their focus from customer delight to milking customers with scammy stuff. Happened with Amazon, now happening with Zomato.
— Amit Mantri (@amitmantri) February 2, 2025
Turns out, as per FSSAI license number, it’s a local @HavmorIceCreams shop that is selling its shakes as “Keventerss” online. Is this legal @deepigoyal @zomato? pic.twitter.com/U77nPRkORQ
— Amit Mantri (@amitmantri) February 2, 2025
Turns out, as per FSSAI license number, it’s a local @HavmorIceCreams shop that is selling its shakes as “Keventerss” online. Is this legal @deepigoyal @zomato? pic.twitter.com/U77nPRkORQ
— Amit Mantri (@amitmantri) February 2, 2025
Zomato’s Response—Immediate Action Taken
Responding to the complaint, Zomato’s official support team assured users that the flagged restaurant had been removed from the platform. They stated:
“Thanks for flagging this. The restaurant has been delisted from Zomato. We actively monitor and remove imitator restaurants. That said, we’re constantly improving our detection system. Customer reports help us take swift action, and we truly appreciate your support.”
Thanks for flagging this. The restaurant has been delisted from Zomato. We actively monitor and remove imitator restaurants. That said, we’re constantly improving our detection system. We truly appreciate your support, as customer reports help us take swift action.
— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) February 2, 2025
Mantri later acknowledged Zomato’s prompt response, sharing a screenshot showing an alert on the fake restaurant’s page that read:
“This restaurant has a misleading name and has been switched off.”
Good to see the prompt action @zomato pic.twitter.com/viino0YyEW
— Amit Mantri (@amitmantri) February 2, 2025
Previous Actions Taken by Zomato
This isn’t the first time Zomato has addressed concerns about misleading listings. The platform had previously taken action against restaurants selling only a single dish.
it’s true.. there are so many like these on zomato..
the other day i saw some with these names:
– dominos
– rolls project (made it look a lot like rolls mania)
– burger king XYZ— amitsarda.xyz (@sardamit) February 3, 2025
@amitmantri absolutely right @zomato @deepigoyal please validate businesses and offer a curated experience. Listing those without real checkpoint is loss of customer trust and business.
— Shrikant Patil (@SocialShri) February 2, 2025
They might start with “Verified” badges
— Ashish (@tulsani1) February 3, 2025
Recently I faced multiple instances where food i ordered was clubbed with other orders by the same delivery partner. Consequently, my food was delivered 1 hr later than eta. Imagine having food which was stale n cold. Complete waste of money. @zomato
— Armchair Thinker (@theoriginalbops) February 2, 2025
Here too. I guess drugs instead of Soup. pic.twitter.com/4k7o92rH2v
— Samir M 🇦🇺🇮🇳 (@samirmokashi) February 3, 2025
Same here pic.twitter.com/fcVOtTk4QP
— BS🇮🇳 (@aphlatoonbanda) February 3, 2025
As online food ordering continues to grow, users are advised to stay vigilant and verify restaurant names before placing orders.
Have you ever encountered a fake restaurant while ordering online? Share your experience in the comments.