Takeaway boss says he has been plagued by 'fake bad reviewers' for a year - but social media is fuming at his vicious response
The owner of a takeaway has said he has been plagued by 'fake bad reviewers' on his business - but his vicious response has caused outrage.
Mumbai Kitchen, an Indian restaurant in Tiverton, Devon has been embroiled in controversy after owner Maruf Ahmed hit back at reviewers which he claims are 'fake'.
After reviews slamming the restaurant's food, Mr Ahmed did not hold back, saying he hoped they would 'die in a car accident'.
This has caused backlash after the comments were shared on a Facebook page with one post saying: '[The] owner of Mumbai Kitchen cannot write things like this on bad reviews, cannot take criticism clearly'.
The uproar was initiated by several one-star Google reviews lambasting Mumbai Kitchen for subpar food and service.
With complaints about 'smelly' meals leading to no dinner and another reviewer saying management was discourteous while resolving to never revisit.
The owner then goes on to punch back and levelled accusations of dishonesty at the reviewers and issued disturbing threats.
One retort stated: 'Stop giving me a fake review, or you will die in a car crash.'
Mr Ahmed has now shared light on the reason for his lashing out saying it comes out of frustration as he believes the comments are being made by a rival or someone holding a grudge.
'This has been happening for a year,' he disclosed. 'Every single time, one or two were putting these negative reviews... some were from accounts that had just been created.
'I was so angry. I emailed one of them saying, 'If you're putting my business down, I hope you die in a car accident'. I felt desperate.'
After the comments were shared online, some social media users slammed the owner for the 'unprofessional' response.
One wrote: 'Fake reviews or not, that is not the way to respond, very unprofessional'.
Another wrote: 'This has got to be fake. No restaurant owner would use this kind of response.'
Despite the online onslaught, he said his reputation remains unaffected thanks to his loyal customer base, saying: 'Our regulars have been so supportive. Many came in to tell us they've never had a bad meal here.'
The restaurant's defence rallied support on social media, with Facebook posts circulating in local groups.
Luis Gordon, a patron, expressed his empathy: 'I'd be fairly upset if people put up fake reviews about my business. I've had over 100 meals at Mumbai Kitchen over the past ten years, and every single one has been excellent.'
Ally Chaplin, another local, praised the establishment: 'They are a fantastic restaurant; we are very lucky in Tiverton to have them.'
When questioned about his choice of words, Mr Ahmed explained that his intention was to deter the reviewers, hoping they would attribute any misfortune to bad luck or karma and cease their attacks.
'If I said something like that, those posting the reviews might think it was bad luck or karma and leave me alone. It came from anger.
'If I had done something wrong, that's understandable, people will be writing negative reviews, but we haven't had that.'
Mr Ahmed, who has recently overseen the opening of a sister site in Taunton, added that the business was in good shape and looking forward to celebrating its first anniversary there.
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