Odisha Restaurant Slams Zomato: “Penalised For Delivery Mistakes”

The management of House of Salat took to Instagram on Thursday, April 16, 2026, to highlight what they describe as a “pattern” of unfair penalization. The restaurant alleges that despite correctly preparing and packing an order, the delivery partner’s mishandling resulted in a poor customer experience, for which the restaurant—not the delivery service—bore the consequences.

The “Pattern” of Unfair Ratings
The restaurant expressed frustration over the lack of a “defense mechanism” for small businesses on the platform. Key grievances include:

One-Sided Accountability: The eatery claimed that when a delivery goes wrong, the restaurant’s rating drops, leading to a loss in visibility and revenue.

No Direct Communication: Small business owners currently have no way to contact the customer to explain that the error occurred after the food left the kitchen.

Visibility Hit: Ratings are the lifeblood of visibility on food apps; unfair low scores can effectively “hide” a business from potential customers.

“We are not asking for favors. Just fairness, transparency, and a system that doesn’t punish the wrong people. It’s time to fix this, Zomato.” — House of Salat

Context: The “Karma” System
While Zomato has yet to officially respond to this specific incident, CEO Deepinder Goyal recently defended the company’s logistics management in early 2026.

The Reputation System: Goyal mentioned a “karma” or reputation system that tracks the history of both riders and customers.

Absorbing Losses: He claimed that in 50–70% of disputed cases where fault cannot be definitively established, Zomato absorbs the financial loss rather than passing it on to the partner or restaurant.

Terminations: Zomato reportedly terminates roughly 5,000 delivery partners monthly for repeated misuse or fraud, suggesting that while a system exists, small restaurants like House of Salat feel it is still weighted against them.

Social Media Reaction
The post has resonated with other small business owners and disgruntled customers:

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A post shared by House Of Salat’s (@houseofsalats)

“Digital Bias”: Many users echoed the sentiment that the app’s algorithms often favor the customer’s complaint regardless of where the fault lies.

Delivery Lapses: Other restaurant owners shared similar stories of riders forgetting items or delivering damaged food, resulting in “1-star” reviews for the kitchen.

System Glitches: Reports from earlier in March 2026 highlighted instances where Zomato’s system accidentally merged overlapping orders, further complicating the “who is at fault” debate.