Was a man denied entry into high-end Karachi eatery for being on a motorcycle?

Waqar Siddiqui alleges Café Flo denied him entry on basis of his mode of transport; Restaurant denies allegations

A social media post in which a man claimed he was denied entry at an eatery in Karachi on the basis of his mode of transport has gone viral.

Waqar Siddiqui claimed to have been discriminated against because he arrived on a motorbike at Café Flo. The cafe management also took notice of the allegations and has since posted a clarification on their Facebook page.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Siddiqui said he was meeting two friends and a client at the restaurant when the guard refused to let him in. When the guard questioned him further, he replied that he wanted coffee and was informed that the restaurant didn't serve any.



"I said do you ask every customer what they want to eat before entering? He said no. I said then why did you stop me? He said because you are on a bike. I just went in shock. I said, what did you say? He said you are on a bike and you are trying to enter. That's not our policy," Siddiqui told The Express Tribune.

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Giving his side of the story, the son of Café Flo's owner, Sikander Rizvi, said, "Truth is that a guy came on his motorbike and started hanging and loitering outside the gate and talking on the phone for a long time. Very suspicious behaviour. Then suddenly out of the blue, two guys on a motorbike came and hopped off and tried to come in."



He went on to say, "My guard stopped them and asked yes (at that time we had a lot of customers especially women inside). They said, 'Coffee hai? Aur milkshake hai?'  My guard said sorry, it's dinner time and the cafe is fully booked."

Considering the fact that we unfortunately live in a city that is prone to violence, attacks and terrorism one cannot be too careful in the name of security for our customers, Rizvi added.

"Hence this was a security issue and not discrimination based on 'class' as some people have posted. We have welcomed people from all walks of life with no restrictions on dress code and will continue to do so. We will also continue to take the steps necessary to ensure the safety and security of our customers, staff and property," he further clarified.

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