Multiple customers are speaking out against a Mississauga café for allegedly overcharging clients, adding unauthorized gratuity and extra items to the bill, but the restaurant is denying the allegations.
Last month, Harnoor Sahota posted a TikTok video exposing restaurant Farzi Café, located in Mississauga’s Square One Mall, for allegedly overcharging her and her two friends.
According to Sahota, the dining experience seemed “fishy” from the start as her server allegedly pushed the group to purchase drinks and appetizers, which they repeatedly had to deny.
But even then, a few minutes after sitting, her table received the appetizer pani puri, which they had never asked for. Assuming that the dish was a complementary starter, the group went on with their dinner, soon receiving another unsolicited plate, which the servers told them was part of the pani puri.
After receiving their main dishes and having to insist on getting the bill, the server allegedly punched in their total on the machine, without giving them an itemized check. And from then, what was supposed to be a fun last-minute bite between friends suddenly became a headache.
“For three mains and for three Diet Cokes we paid $240,” she said. “So, we started doing our math, it didn’t add up.”
Speaking with Now Toronto on Monday, Sahota and her friend Vidur Syan said that upon realizing the inconsistency, they went back to the restaurant and demanded to see an itemized bill, which allegedly turned out to have multiple surprises.
“The main dish that we had ordered, on the menu, the price for that was $25, [but] on the bill it was $29. For the Diet Coke we had ordered, the price on the menu was $4 [and] on the bill it was $7,” Syan said.
“The starter that he had sent us… which we did not order, was added to the bill. Another thing that we see now is that there is a gratuity of 18 per cent added.”
According to them, while the menu made it clear that the restaurant added an automatic gratuity of 18 per cent for groups over five, their table only had three people, and the tip was allegedly never disclosed. Since they weren’t aware of the charge, the friends also added their own additional tip.
Eventually, the restaurant manager returned their added tip and sent them a $39 gift card.
After posting the video about her experience, Sahota went viral on TikTok, with multiple customers bringing up their own issues with Farzi Café.
“Farzi Café is horrible for scamming! They charged us $68 for a double simple gin and tonic,” one user claimed.
“We went there on Valentine’s Day, they charged us $1,400 for three couples. We didn’t order much and the customer service was very bad,” another user stated.
“Same thing! We were celebrating my husband’s birthday (just the two of us) when the manager offered us fiery shots and even joined us for one. It felt like a kind gesture, so we assumed it was on the house. We were surprised to see all the shots—including the manager’s—added to our bill,” a different user chimed in.
The restaurant also has multiple complaints on other platforms, such as Google Reviews, Yelp and Tripadvisor, which Sahota says she only saw after the episode.
According to her, the group has now filed a report with the customer complaint platform Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Mississauga, where Farzi Café also collects over 20 complaints and an F grading.
“We were shocked. We were literally shocked. And [experiencing] something like this… in this country, that is even more shocking,” Sahota said.
MATTER NOW IN COURT
After the TikToker’s video went viral, Farzi Café Canada issued a public statement saying that the allegations are “baseless.”
“While we respect everyone’s right to share 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,” they wrote.
The restaurant also says that it is “pursuing the matter to hold the individuals involved accountable for the damage caused.”
To that, Sahota and Syan said that they were surprised to see the statement, but it doesn’t make them want to retract their comments.
“They should have taken ownership of this. And instead of telling people that they’re going to take public action, they should apologize to all those people,” Sahota said.
“But we are not scared. There’s nothing to be afraid of. We are not lying. We have proof and there’s hundreds of people, thousands of people, who had a similar experience.”
Last week, Zorawar Kalra, owner of Farzi Café brand’s parent company Massive Restaurant Private, announced that it had terminated its franchise agreement with Farzi Café Mississauga after contract breaches that surfaced “as a result of customer complaints.”
“Legal proceedings against Farzi Café Mississauga commenced in June 2024 and the matter is currently before the court in Brampton,” the statement said.
“While customer complaints continue to be received by Farzi Café India to this day, Farzi Café India wishes to assure the public that it is committed to protecting its brand and the public, and customer complaints will be heeded.”
Now Toronto reached out to Farzi Café Mississauga for comment but didn’t receive a response.
