A disturbing incident at Kempegowda International Airport has sparked outrage after a traveller claimed to find a worm in his breakfast served by The Rameshwaram Cafe, a popular South Indian food chain. According to a TimesNow report, the customer, who had ordered pongal, alleged that staff initially dismissed his complaint until he began recording the scene on his phone.
The man said he was eating the dish on Thursday morning when he noticed the worm. He immediately confronted the staff but claimed they were reluctant to address the issue at first.
Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe Worm Found in Rameshwaram Cafe's Pongal At Bengaluru Airport#Bengaluru#RameshwaramCafe#BengaluruAirport#RameshwaramCafeinBengaluru#KannadaNewspic.twitter.com/CWU91sxgwe— Bhat (@Anamika0072) July 24, 2025
“It was only after I started recording a video of the worm inside the food and the staff members' response that they started apologising,” the customer was cited by TimesNow. In the video, the customer points out the worm in a spoonful of pongal while partially filming the restaurant. He is also heard discussing whether to escalate the complaint to the cafe’s owner.
A now-viral video shows the diner pointing out the worm in a spoonful of pongal while partially filming the outlet. He is also heard discussing the possibility of contacting the cafe’s management via Instagram.
At one point, a staff member is heard asking, “Have I spoken in an inappropriate way?” after being confronted. Eventually, the cafe refunded Rs 300 for the meal.
HT reportedly reached out to The Rameshwaram Cafe’s co-owners, Raghavendra Rao and Divya Rao, following the alleged discovery of a worm in a meal served at their Bengaluru Airport outlet.
Raghavendra stated that the cafe is attempting to contact the customer but has yet to receive a response, suggesting the traveller may still be in transit.
Divya, however, cast doubt on the accusation, pointing to previous instances where she claims customers deliberately tampered with food. Some customers have added worms to the food themselves and “used it to dent the image of the brand,” she told the publication.
The cafe, a well-known Bengaluru chain, specialises in quick-service South Indian dishes like idlis, dosas, and filter coffee. Over the years, it has gained a loyal following among locals and travellers alike.
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