Urinal in storage area, unclean water: Why FDA suspended licence of Mumbai’s Olympia Coffee House visited by Christopher Nolan and The Odyssey stars

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday suspended the licence of 108-year-old Olympia Coffee House in Colaba, Mumbai, following a consumer complaint.

Nolan, Matt Damon and Tom Holland had visited the iconic cafe

Olympia Coffee House came into the spotlight in July after filmmaker Christopher Nolan and Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Tom Holland made a surprise visit to the iconic eatery ahead of the Indian premiere of Nolan's The Odyssey.

FDA finds multiple food safety and hygiene violations

During an inspection of Olympia Coffee House, the FDA found several serious food safety and hygiene violations, including a urinal located in the food storage area, the department said.


The inspection also found unhygienic food preparation and utensil-washing facilities, food being handled directly on the floor and the use of unclean water. Officials also reported an infestation of cockroaches and flies.

The refrigerator contained meat and blood residues, while raw vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was not properly segregated, the FDA said.

Food handlers lacked mandatory training

Other violations included the use of damaged wooden chopping boards and the absence of appropriate protective clothing among food handlers, according to the FDA.

Of the 35 food handlers at the establishment, 34 had not undergone the required food safety training. The FDA also said mandatory water testing reports and essential sanitation records were not available.

Just two days ago, the FDA suspended the licences of Cafe Mondegar, a popular restaurant in Colaba, and three other food establishments in Mumbai following inspections that found serious violations.

What did FDA find at Cafe Mondegar?

Cafe Mondegar, located at Metro House in Colaba, was inspected on September 12. According to the FDA, the restaurant failed to maintain hot food above the prescribed 60 degrees Celsius and cold storage below 5 degrees Celsius.

Officials also found improper thawing of food, inadequate rapid cooling of cooked food, and sanitation and structural deficiencies that could pose a risk of cross-contamination.

Three other establishments face licence suspension

The FDA also suspended the licences of Maharashtra Biryani Centre in Kandivali East, Tribhuvan Dairy Farm in Ghatkopar West and Mahavir Cashew & Foods Pvt Ltd in Ghatkopar East for violations of Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.

Schedule 4 prescribes mandatory hygiene and sanitation requirements for food business operators.

FDA takes action against nine more establishments

As part of its festival-season drive, the regulator also acted against nine other food establishments in Mumbai over deficiencies detected during inspections.

These included Ruhafza Bakery in Khar West; Chandru's Pure Ghee Sweets and Sharma Dairy & Fast Food in Andheri West; Punjabi Chandu Halwai LLP at Grant Road East; Shri Narayan Dairy in Vile Parle West; and Gulshan Dairy Farm in Khar West.