Mumbai’s iconic Olympia Coffee House is in the news – but not for a good reason this time. After the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration suspended Cafe Mondegar’s licence, Mumbai’s iconic Olympia Coffee House got its food licence suspended. The 108-year-old Colaba eatery was found violating food safety and hygiene regulations. As a result, the FDA suspended Olympia Coffee House’s licence.
Why Was Olympia Coffee House Licence Suspended?
The FDA carried out an inspection on September 16 after a consumer complaint under the ‘Safe Food Safe Maharashtra’ campaign. During the inspection, officials found cockroaches and flies, meat blood residue inside a refrigerator, and also a urinal in the food storage area.
Inspectors found that food was being handled directly on the floor, and the food preparation and utensil-washing areas were found to be unhygienic. Officials also flagged out the use of unclean water and worn-out wooden chopping boards. Segregation of raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was improper.
Moreover, food handlers were reportedly seen not wearing required protective clothing. 34 out of 35 food handlers had not even undergone mandatory food safety training. Adding to the list of violations, the restaurant failed to produce water-testing reports and sanitation records during the inspection.
As a result of these violations, the FDA had to suspend Olympia Coffee House’s licence.
Also Read: Maharashtra FDA Suspends 6 Mumbai Eateries’ Licenses Over Food Safety Violations
What’s Next For Olympia Coffee House Colaba?
FDA, following the inspection, has suspended Olympia Coffee House’s food licence under Section 32 (3) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, along with the relevant licensing regulations.
As part of the license suspension, the restaurant will be barred from purchasing, preparing, storing, selling, or distributing food. The restaurant can resume operations only after rectifying these violations and passing a satisfactory re-inspection by the FDA.
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Summing Up
FDA has suspended the food licence of Colaba’s iconic Olympia Coffee House only months after it hosted Hollywood stars Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, and Tom Holland as part of The Odyssey press tour. The 108-year-old eatery is one of the most popular legacy eateries in Mumbai. However, after customer complaints, the FDA found several food safety and hygiene violations inside the restaurant. The Olympia Coffee House licence shall be revoked only after it rectifies the violations and passes a re-evaluation test.
