Man Flags ‘Fake Restaurants’ on Zomato: A Cover for Drug Delivery?

Social media users in Chandigarh have raised concerns about suspicious “fake restaurants” operating on the food delivery app Zomato. Nitish Anand, an X user, shared screenshots of eateries offering only one dish at exorbitantly high prices. These outlets were riddled with negative reviews and listed at nonexistent addresses, sparking speculation about their true purpose.

The listed items, with names like “Naughty Strawberry,” “Blue Adventure,” and “Citrus Punch,” intrigued users, leading some to suggest they might be covers for illicit activities like drug delivery or money laundering. “Came across some odd listings on Zomato in Chandigarh—so-called ‘restaurants’ that only offer a single dish, priced absurdly high. It’s got me wondering: could these be fronts for money laundering or some other shady business?” read a post on the Reddit.

Suspicious “one-dish” restaurants on Zomato (Chandigarh)
byu/torinotor inindia

The original poster (OP) decided to investigate further by attempting to order from one of the restaurants. However, their order was automatically canceled, and the restaurant was marked as closed shortly after. “I tried placing an order, but it got automatically cancelled after some time, and the restaurant is now showing as closed,” the OP explained.

The post quickly gained traction, drawing several theories in the comments. One user suggested, “Those look like flavours of juice that you put into your vapes. Pricing also looks consistent.” Another shared a similar observation, stating, “True. I know of an exact such operation in another city that essentially sells vape pens/cartridges. The price is almost the same, Rs 1000–Rs 1200 per item.”

Adding to the mystery, a commenter speculated, “Could it be a way to deliver drugs? With prices this high, only a ‘few’ people will order. And those few will already know what it contains, i.e., drugs. Just a thought.”

Interestingly, one user noted that all the flagged outlets were listed under the same location, Nayagaon, which raised further suspicions about their legitimacy.