‘Closing My Business Without Getting the Facts is Not fair’- Owner of Pop Tate’s Eatery

‘Closing My Business Without Getting the Facts is Not fair’- Owner of Pop Tate’s Eatery

Mangaluru : 48 hours after Mangaluru City Corporation shut down the Pop Tate’s eatery place at Karangalpady on complaints of food poisoning which had made a few people sick, who got treated at OPD, and three were treated at Kshema Hospital in Deralakatte, Mangaluru, one of the partners, Anwar Manipady of ‘Pop Tate’s’ eatery place speaking to Team Mangalorean said, “We have been running our eatery place at three locations for the last few years, and have never experienced such kind of food poisoning issue, and this incident is really surprising us. In fact, twice our eatery place has been certified as the cleanest kitchen/service in town, and how can anyone blame us for negligence. In fact, I had met the Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil, and explained to him that taking action our food joint just because the issue was publicized on social media was not fair, for which he too agreed and directed his police officers to look into the matter”.

“It is learnt that one of the victims had issues of earlier symptoms from the appendix, so how does this incident relate to that, blaming us for food poisoning. Mangaluru City Corporation without going details into the incident, and closing my business is not fair. When an eatery place like us which has earned customer satisfaction for over two decades, and all of a sudden accusing us for few of our customers getting sick due to food poisoning is indeed hard to believe. The truth will come out when the results will come out after the health department officials have taken samples of raw food materials and other food items for testing. Earlier MCC had even closed our Balmatta outlet, but later in the evening, the officials agreed to open and do business in the evening, noting that our Balmatta had nothing to do with this incident. This seems like someone out of jealousy is trying to spoil the name of our business. I am very much confident that there is absolutely no mistake from our eatery place, and the truth will be out soon, where our Karangalpady will start serving our valuable customers soon” added Anwar, along with his other partner Mukhtar by his side.

But in the meantime, MCC Health Officer Manjaya Shetty speaking to Team Mangalorean said “We took the proper action in closing the Pop Tate’s eatery in Karangalpady after we received complaints that many customers after consuming food at this eatery joint got sick, where a few of them were admitted to a hospital in Surathkal, and few others at Kshema Hospital in Derlakatte, and also in Hospital in Kasargod. Based on the complaint we have collected the samples from the two Pop Tate’s eatery joints in the City and have sent it for tests. When we found that the shop started to operate on Friday, we quickly shut it down, until food tests results come back. We did what we were supposed to do”.

Sources reveal that many customers, including a few from Uppala in Kasargod and Surathkal who had come to the City, got sick allegedly due to food poisoning after consuming food at this eatery place. It is learnt that Abdul Khader, aged 54, a jewellery shop owner from Uppala, his wife Maimoona, aged 47, their children Nafeesa (27), Samin (2), and two of their relatives, Mohammed Anwar (23), and Hafna (14) were admitted in Derlakatte hospital, due to food poisoning. However,  Hafna’s condition is serious, and she underwent surgery. It is learnt that few other customers from Shiriya in Kasargod have also been affected by food poisoning and are on treatment.

It is also learnt that this incident was brought to the notice of district-in-charge minister U T Khader, who has directed the concerned officials to check into the issue and take action against the eatery place if needed. In the meantime, one of the family member from the people who got sick staged a protest in front of Pop Tate’s eatery and demanded the place to be shut, which the owner obliged, as seen in the video which had gone viral.