- Customer at Bengaluru cafe was described offensively on his bill as "Little fat black shirt"
- The incident sparked outrage on social media for being unprofessional and body-shaming
- Subko The Craftery issued a public apology and took disciplinary action against staff involved
A popular Bengaluru-based cafe, Subko The Craftery, is facing backlash after a customer claimed that he was identified on his bill by an offensive physical description. The incident came to light when the customer shared a photo of his receipt on the r/bangalorefoodies subreddit, alleging that under the "Customer Detail" section, "Little fat black shirt" was printed instead of his name.
The post gained massive traction on the platform with thousands of views, triggering outrage among social media users who slammed the cafe, with one user calling it "unprofessional and derogatory".
The customer said that while the remark may have been intended as a way for staff to identify him, using his body type as a description was inappropriate. He also questioned whether the same would have been viewed as a harmless joke if the customer had been a woman.
"Body-shaming isn't funny just because the person on the receiving end is a man," the Reddit post mentioned.
Subko didn't use my name.
by u/Prior_Customer_4240 in bangalorefoodies
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Cafe issues apology
Following the widespread criticism, Subko issued a public apology on social media, stating that it had taken disciplinary action against the employees involved. The cafe further added that it is committed to changing internal processes to ensure it doesn't happen again.
"Some things you fix quietly. Others you fix out loud, because staying quiet is how the culture that allowed it survives," the cafe stated in its social media post. "To the guest who experienced this: we're sorry. Not for how it looked. For what it was."
The management also invited the customer to file a formal report through a grievance link managed by their Internal Complaints Commission (ICC).
"Our Internal Complaints Commission (ICC), the body dedicated to grievance redressal wants to hear from you. There is a form link in our bio. Write to us with your feedback," it added. "We're listening."
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Social media reactions
However, the apology itself has drawn further criticism online, with some social media users questioning the manner in which the incident was handled, with some even calling it a poor PR exercise. Meanwhile, some users praised the accountability.
"Okay, I love the acceptance of it out loud... but honestly, I have always wondered how firing and dismissal are ever going to help...?" one user wrote in the comment section. "These days come across so many situations where an employee is fired for their views. I just always wonder if we could do something that could actually make them understand how it is wrong."
"You shouldn't have a protocol of writing names; just put table numbers and the problem goes away. Plus they staff might just be describing the person; probably they didn't take their name or forgot; the world is too sensitive these days. Kudos for trying to rectify it tho," another user added.
"Appreciate your efforts to take accountability. Having an SOP and systematic soft skill training will help in anticipating guest needs and recognition," a third user shared their opinion.
Subko Speciality Coffee Roasters was founded by Rahul Reddy, who serves as founder and creative director, with Daniel Trulson associated as a co-founder. The company has also attracted investment from prominent entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath.
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