Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Abhijit Gupta recently hit the headlines following the dismissal of three staff during an unexpected inspection at his restaurant kitchens, on grounds of a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and alcohol. Abhijit Gupta, co-founder of The Pizza Bakery, Paris Panini, and Smash Guys, posted a video on Instagram that captured his visit and his reasons for conducting such checks to ensure quality and discipline.
Gupta posted the video with the caption, “Surprise check visits keep the pulse of the business real — what you see on paper and what’s on-ground can be two very different things. It’s these checks that keep our systems strong and our standards tighter.”
Breakdown of the video
In the clip, Gupta can be seen visiting his two Bengaluru based delivery kitchens. At his first stop-Yelahanka store, Gupta complimented the staff for having impeccable standards. " Pizza Bakery has zero wrong items, that’s actually outstanding," he remarked, crediting the staff with consistency and attention to detail.
He then went to the Sahakarnagar branch and decided personally to check out a customer complaint against a pizza. “A customer said the broccoli didn’t have any flavour or marination. So, what I’m going to do is order on Swiggy just before we get there, and let’s see if the pizza is as bad as this customer says it is”, Gupta said referring to feedback about a pizza. Having ordered through Swiggy and tasted the dish himself, Gupta conceded, " The customer has a point. The broccoli didn’t have enough seasoning and stuff, so we’ll work on this. Thank you for your feedback."
Employees fired to maintain workplace discipline
Later during the visit, Gupta asked his general manager the number of staff that had been fired that day, and she told him, "Three people" Gupta at the end of the video, clarifies the reason for the firings: " Our general manager (was) talking about terminating 3 or 4 staff for consuming narcotics. We have a zero-drug policy, zero alcohol policy. You cannot show up to work high on weed or alcohol. Unfortunately, we had to terminate these guys just to set an example for the rest of the team. It’s sad, we don’t like terminating people, but it had to be done.”
Netizen's reaction
The video became popular very soon on social media, with everyone hailing Gupta's management attitude and concerns about customer satisfaction as well as workplace standards. Some complimented him on his dedication to customer service while others respected his strict work ethic. A user commented, “This is just what we need all founders to do!!! super impressed by your move & this series.” Another wrote, “Good to see a founder taking notes from feedback! That’s how you build a solid brand!”
