Free. A four-letter word that instantly sets our hearts racing and our pockets sighing with relief. Be it having “free” time on our hands or a “free” goodie with a purchase, you know it puts a smile on our faces. Recently, a customer got a “free” cockroach with their coffee at L’Opera in Delhi—a protein surprise they neither needed nor wanted.
Delhi Customer Finds Cockroach In ₹335 Coffee Order At L’Opera
A Redditor @WaltzSimple6037 took to the sub-Reddit r/delhi to share a free bite they received with their coffee order. It wasn’t cookie or cake, but rather a protein bite floating in their latte. The Iced Latte priced at ₹335, bought from a posh French Bakery, L’Opera had a cockroach in it.
Cockroach in My Iced Latte at Lopera, Khan Market
byu/WaltzSimple6037 indelhi
The customer ordered the drink to go. On opening the lid, what was presumed to be a coffee bean was actually a cockroach. What made it worse, explained the Redditor, was the sheer air of nonchalance of the staff. The Redditor recollected that they kept saying “sorry” like robots without any real concern. It left the customer wondering if hygiene standards are so poor at a well-known cafe like L’Opera what could be the state in other places in India. To show proof of purchase, @WaltzSimple6037 posted a picture of the bill.
L’Opera retorted with a statement to NDTV. The management stated that the incident took place on October 4 at one of their outlets in Delhi. Ten minutes after parcelling their order, the customers returned complaining about finding an insect in one of their takeaway drinks. They offered to replace the drink to which the customer declined and opted for a refund instead. L’Opera’s senior staff extended an apology and the management in their statement expressed their “profound regret.”
No One Is Spared From The Protein Surprise (Shock)
This incident takes me back to 2019 when I visited a hole-in-the-wall cafe in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune. To complement the pleasant weather, I ordered a cup of hot coffee. As I sipped my drink, I felt something buttery in my mouth. I wondered if it was malai (cream) and spat it out to examine it only to realise it was a tiny cockroach. Horrified, I alerted the staff. But it wasn’t the presence of the cockroach that angered me as much as the sheer apathy of the staff. They responded with sniggers almost borderline laughing at the scenario. Offering me a refund, they shoved the incident, much like the cockroach under the carpet.
Well, if Kopi luwak, coffee made of half-digested coffee cherries defecated by civet cats disgusts you, then wait till you try “Cockroast”, a drink made complete with the presence of a “free cockroach”. A protein surprise, the L’Opera customer and I, both, neither needed nor wanted.
Cover Image Courtesy: u/WaltzSimple6037/ Reddit
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