Hyderabad food safety authorities suspended the licences of 11 restaurants in Gachibowli, Hitec City and Madhapur after inspections found alleged hygiene violations including spoiled food, pest infestation, poor storage and unsafe kitchen conditions. The establishments were ordered to stop operations immediately, according to a report by the Times of India.
The action was taken by the Telangana Standards Authority for Food and Essential Drugs, or TG SAFE, on Saturday. Among the restaurants named were Antera Kitchen and Bar in Gachibowli, Fusion 9/Amnesia Sky Bar and Am Aha Telugu Kitchen and Bar at Inorbit Mall. The other establishments were Shivani – The Restaurant and Bar, Al Saba, Lucky Multicuisine, Sai Ram Mess, Udupi’s Upahar, Coal Spark, Kanchi Cafe and Monastery.
At Antera Kitchen and Bar, officials reportedly found spoiled and fungus-contaminated vegetables, expired food and cockroach infestation. The kitchen and washing areas were described as unhygienic, with broken tiles, greasy walls and floors, and blocked drains. Inspectors also found food stored improperly in refrigerators, with items not labelled and vegetarian and non-vegetarian products kept together, a food safety official told the newspaper.
Officials reported cockroach infestation and rat faeces inside Fusion 9/Amnesia Sky Bar. At Al Saba Restaurant, inspectors found staff chewing gutka, along with cigarette butts, gutka packets and gutka stains in parts of the kitchen, the report said.
The enforcement action also covered restaurants in Madhapur and Hitec City, placing food safety compliance under scrutiny in some of Hyderabad’s busiest commercial and office districts. The licence suspensions mean the named establishments have been directed to stop operations while the regulatory action takes effect.
Separate improvement notices were issued to six eateries: Rameshwaram Cafe in Madhapur, Ishtaa in Gachibowli, Sahibs Barbeque and Pakka Local in Hitec City, and Hotel Shadab and Shah Ghouse in Gachibowli. The notices require the establishments to address identified deficiencies before re-inspection.
At Shadab, Shah Ghouse and Rameshwaram Cafe, officials cited poorly maintained kitchen floors with visible cracks, heavily rusted or broken washing sinks and poorly maintained refrigerators. Food was reportedly found uncovered and stored improperly. A food safety official said the managements had been asked to comply with hygiene rules and would be re-inspected.
Show-cause notices were also served on White Elephant Food Works, which operates 63 Degrees, Minerva Grand at Kondapur and Hotel Avasa at Hitec City. Officials said penalties would be considered in these cases. The inspections and follow-up actions place responsibility on restaurant operators to correct infrastructure, storage, sanitation and staff-practice failures before they can continue or retain regulatory approval.
