Farzi Cafe Square One Reviews: Closure & Customer Complaints

Few restaurant closures have sparked as much debate as Farzi Cafe at Square One. What started as a promising Indian fusion spot turned into a cautionary tale about automatic gratuity and aggressive upselling, leaving customers with bills that felt more like a scam than a meal. By mid-June 2025, the restaurant had shuttered — but the story behind it is still unfolding.

Location: Square One, Mississauga, ON ·
Cuisine: Modern Indian Fusion ·
Automatic Gratuity: 20% ·
Price Range: $$$ (expensive) ·
Customer Rating: Mixed – positive ambience, negative service

Eight key facts about Farzi Cafe Square One, one pattern: the same high-end pricing and aggressive upselling that triggered complaints across every major review platform.

Why Is Farzi Cafe Closed?

Official announcement

Square One confirmed to INsauga.com (local news outlet) on Monday, June 16, 2025 that Farzi Cafe was no longer operating. The restaurant was unreachable for comment that same day. The closure followed a flood of customer complaints that had been mounting since 2023.

Customer complaints

Diners reported aggressive upselling of drinks and appetizers, bills that included items they didn’t order, and an automatic 20% gratuity applied even for parties of two. A Now Toronto (Toronto news) investigation noted that a group of three received a $240 bill with inconsistent prices. The Better Business Bureau gave the Mississauga location an F rating after the business failed to respond to 22 complaints, with four still unresolved.

Automatic gratuity issues

The 20% automatic gratuity was a sticking point for many customers who felt it was added without clear disclosure. Now Toronto reported that the practice was one of the main triggers behind the TikTok video that went viral in early June 2025, amassing over 600,000 views.

Bottom line: Farzi Cafe at Square One is closed after years of complaints about billing practices. Diners who suspect overcharging now have documented evidence across multiple platforms. The franchise owner faces a court case that will determine whether the closure is permanent.

Who Is the Owner of Farzi Cafe?

Zorawar Kalra biography

The owner is Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants Pvt Ltd and the man behind the Farzi Cafe brand. Kalra describes his mission as modernizing Indian cuisine for a global audience, as stated on the Farzi Café USA website (brand’s official site). He is active on Instagram under the handle @zkalra (owner’s social media).

Instagram presence

Kalra uses his Instagram account to showcase new locations, dishes, and brand milestones. He responded publicly to the TikTok controversy, posting a statement indicating legal action against the customer who filmed the video alleging overcharging.

The pattern: Zorawar Kalra’s brand promises elevated Indian fusion, but at Square One the execution fell short, leaving his reputation tied to the franchisee’s missteps. For Kalra, the challenge now is separating the brand from the franchise that damaged it.

What Are the Signature Dishes at Farzi Cafe?

Farzified Surprises

The menu featured “Farzified Surprises” — a set of 19 must-order dishes highlighted in a blog post about the Hyderabad location. These include truffle butter chicken, dal chawal arancini, and gulkand kulfi. The Square One menu offered many of the same items, with prices reportedly higher than other locations.

Must-order dishes

According to a Wanderlog (travel review platform) reviewer, the food quality was “hot n fresh” and service was “fantastic” — a rare positive note in a sea of criticism. Most reviewers, however, complained that the food, while decent, did not justify the bill size after automatic gratuity.

The implication: the pricing overshadowed the culinary experience, making the novelty a liability rather than a selling point.

What Is the History of Farzi Restaurant?

Founding story

Zorawar Kalra launched Farzi Cafe in 2016 in New Delhi, positioning it as a play on the word “farzi” (meaning fake or pretence in Hindi) — a cheeky reference to modern takes on classic dishes. The brand expanded rapidly, opening locations in Dubai, London, and then North America. The Square One outpost opened in 2021.

Expansion to USA

The brand’s USA website (official brand site) describes the mission as modernizing Indian cuisine with globally appealing flavours. However, the franchise model led to uneven quality control. The Massive Restaurants website confirms that the Square One location was a franchise, terminated in April 2024. That termination is now in court.

The implication: Farzi Cafe’s growth was built on a sleek marketing concept, but the gap between brand promise and franchise execution became too wide to sustain.

What Do Customer Reviews Say About Farzi Cafe?

TripAdvisor reviews

A TripAdvisor review from a user claims: “All there 5 star reviews are fake. Their service is horrendous.” The restaurant had over 7,500 Google reviews, many echoing similar complaints about upselling and misleading practices (Now Toronto).

Reddit user experiences

On r/FoodToronto (Reddit community), a user wrote: “They do scam people. At the end, the bill went up to $500+.” Another Redditor described being charged for a drink they never ordered, and only noticing after the automatic gratuity was already added.

OpenTable ratings

On OpenTable (restaurant reservation site), ratings averaged just above 3 out of 5, with positive reviews focused on ambience and food presentation while negative reviews cited cost and service.

“All there 5 star reviews are fake. Their service is horrendous.”

— TripAdvisor reviewer, Farzi Cafe Square One

“They do scam people. At the end, the bill went up to $500+.”

— Reddit user, r/FoodToronto

“Food & service was fantastic. The quality of food was hot n fresh.”

— Wanderlog reviewer (Vakul’s service)

Pros and Cons of Farzi Cafe Square One

Bottom line: Farzi Cafe Square One is a textbook case of brand-customer trust broken by opaque pricing. Diners who pay with credit cards should review itemized charges before signing. Regulators watching Ontario’s automatic gratuity rules may take note: this story isn’t over.

The story of Farzi Cafe Square One isn’t just about one restaurant — it’s about what happens when online reputation management doesn’t match real-world experience. For diners in the Greater Toronto Area considering similar high-end fusion spots, the lesson is clear: always scrutinize the bill and check gratuity policies before ordering, or risk paying far more than the menu price suggests.

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