Food delivery services have grown to be a necessary component of Indian urban life in recent years. Platforms like Zomato, Swiggy, and Uber Eats revolutionized how we consume food, making it possible to enjoy restaurant meals from the comfort of our homes. What started out as a convenience-driven invention has expanded into a multibillion-dollar sector.
These platforms gave restaurants, particularly small and medium-sized ones, the chance to grow their customer base without having to make infrastructure investments. Despite their early advantages, the food delivery ecosystem is starting to show signs of vulnerability. A recent dispute has rekindled discussion about the viability and equity of this approach after a restaurant owner accused Zomato of charging without authorization and paying nothing.
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Restaurant owner threatens to exit Zomato over unauthorised charges
Recently, a restaurant owner publicly criticized meal delivery service Zomato on social media. He claimed that there have been no payouts for the past 2 months, unexpected ads without permission, and unauthorized deductions.
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The owner, named Manish, was identified as the proprietor of a Noida-based biryani restaurant named Saffroma. In his post, he announced their decision to remove his establishment from Zomato in a strongly worded message. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Manish wrote,
Dear @zomato @deepigoyal I’m finally pulling my restaurant off your platform. Congrats! Your mystery service charges, surprise ad placements (without consent), and a POC who ghosts like it’s a talent show—truly inspiring. Small outlets deserve better. Quality > commissions.
Dear @zomato @deepigoyal I’m finally pulling my restaurant off your platform. Congrats! Your mystery service charges, surprise ad placements (without consent), and a POC who ghosts like it’s a talent show—truly inspiring. Small outlets deserve better. Quality > commissions.
— Manish (@maniyakiduniya) May 31, 2025
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He further shared multiple screenshots of payouts, saying,
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Sharing here the screenshots of the zero payout summary for last 2 months….This ad was applied without our knowledge and consent
— Manish (@maniyakiduniya) May 31, 2025
Concluding his thread, he wrote,
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1/2 Is this how u support small businesses Mr. @deepigoyal? …5 months into this business and I’m very clear about one thing… my case is just tip of the iceberg..There are countless stories of closed/failed businesses who relied solely on online platforms for orders.
1/2 Is this how u support small businesses Mr. @deepigoyal ? …5 months into this business and I’m very clear about one thing… my case is just tip of the iceberg..There are countless stories of closed/failed businesses who relied solely on online platforms for orders.
— Manish (@maniyakiduniya) May 31, 2025
How does Zomato respond to the post?
After seeing the matter getting out of hand, the official X account of Zomato replied to Manish. In their reply, they expressed deep regret over what happened and asked the restaurant owner to share more details. Zomato wrote,
Hi Manish, that’s not what we hoped for! Please DM us your restaurant ID, and our team will be reaching out to you.
Hi Manish, that’s not what we hoped for! Please DM us your restaurant ID, and our team will be reaching out to you. https://t.co/jcTFuGSv2G
— Zomato Care (@zomatocare) May 31, 2025
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How do netizens react to the restaurant owner’s allegations?
Manish’s post on X went viral on the internet. Within no time, netizens flocked to the comment section of his post to support him. Some netizens asked for the restaurant’s details, while others criticized Zomato over what happened.
Have a look at some of the comments:
Here it is
— Manish (@maniyakiduniya) June 1, 2025
Even I am facing issues whereas I have seen big brands payouts with 0 charges for growth and ads I don’t know how there deal works with Zomato maybe they pay separately
— Sameer Singh (@_st_101) May 31, 2025
Thanks for bringing this out, I think the algorithms are about keeping maximum money in the table for Zomato, squeezing the restaurants, dark pricing for customers etc etc. do you have a forum to report this ?
— Shrikant Patil (@SocialShri) June 1, 2025
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@SwiggyCares @zomatocare both of them dont care. Have written innumerable mails to take my restaurants OFF from @swiggydineout & @lifeindistrict but no one listens. Discounts are forced on ids without any discussion. @GovernmentIndia @MLJ_GoI should step in to reign this terror
— Bawarchi Baba (@bawarchibaba) June 1, 2025
Happy to see you go off Zomato my friend, become a proud and profitable restaurateur again!
The aggregator platforms have hurt many a small businesses with their predatory practises; their PoC are well trained to be vulture like!
— Anurag Katriar (@KingKatriar) June 1, 2025
Surprise ad placements without consent are really a menace by Zomato. The Zomato account managers just start any ad any discount without asking the restaurant, fees of which gets deducted from the payouts. Very hard to earn from Zomato.
— Sushil S. Agarwal (@jivanmukt) June 1, 2025
Meanwhile, millions of Indians have surely found their lives easier thanks to the revolution in food delivery. But fairness must never be sacrificed for convenience. While technology has the potential to democratize and disrupt sectors, it also carries the risk of exploitation if left uncontrolled, as this incident shows as a timely reminder.
What do you think about this incident? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.
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