A restaurant owner in Leicestershire has sparked debate after sharing CCTV footage of diners he claims left an unfair negative review despite appearing to enjoy their meal.
Pejman Zamani, 65, owner of Zamani’s restaurant in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, said he decided to respond publicly after receiving what he described as an anonymous and damaging online review.
The criticism, posted on Google, described a family meal at the restaurant as “a very disappointing and expensive evening”, claiming the food failed to meet expectations, the décor looked tired and the service lacked attentiveness.
In response, Zamani shared CCTV images on social media that he said showed the diners finishing their meals, requesting that leftover pizza be boxed to take home, thanking staff and giving a thumbs-up gesture to a member of staff.
In a Facebook post, which has since been deleted, Zamani accused the reviewer of hiding behind anonymity while damaging his business.
“You damage mine, unfairly, I will expose you,” he wrote, adding that he intended to publish messages from the reviewer, who had allegedly asked him not to reveal her identity.
The post quickly attracted criticism from local residents, with some accusing the restaurateur of behaving unprofessionally.
One social media user described the move as “bang out of line”, while another claimed Zamani had developed a reputation online for reacting angrily to criticism.
The latest dispute follows another incident in June when Zamani publicly challenged a different customer who described the restaurant as “tatty and unloved” and criticised its atmosphere and service.
Speaking about the controversy, Zamani said customers should first raise any concerns directly with the restaurant before posting negative reviews online.
“If something isn’t to your liking, tell us and we will try to fix it,” he said.
“If you don’t feel comfortable raising it at the time, contact us afterwards by email or message. We’ll respond, address your concerns and do our best to make things right.
“If we fail to do that, then tell the world we didn’t meet your expectations.”
Zamani said mistakes can happen in any business but argued that restaurants deserve an opportunity to resolve complaints before being criticised publicly.
Despite the recent controversy, Zamani’s has received hundreds of positive customer reviews and currently holds a 4.6-star rating on both Google and TripAdvisor.
The Sun reported that it had contacted Zamani for comment.
