Over the years, Dominos pizza has become a household name even in two-tier cities like Nagpur due to its great taste and quick service. For the same reason, ditching the local pizzas, on Monday evening, October 12, 2020, I went to a Dominos outlet situated diagonally opposite Naturals Ice Cream and Wazalwar Lawns, near Traffic Park in Dharampeth, Nagpur.

With Nagpur’s COVID-19 cases nearing 88,000, least I expected restaurant owners was to observe highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

Aghast at what I saw at the Dominos outlet (thanks to their open kitchen) was an employee wearing torn gloves in COVID-19 pandemic and kneading dough for pizzas with several insects in it. Hundreds of insects, all over the restaurant, kept falling from all the lights above into baked pizzas, dough, flour and toppings.

What was more disturbing was the callousness of the employee kneading the dough. He kept kneading it despite noticing all the insects present inside.

It was only after me and my friends highlighted the prominent presence of insects, the employee apparently scrapped the dough and the flour. That was the time, I began filming the video of the same. Needless to say, I cancelled my order right away and got a refund of Rs 815. Yes, I did get call from the employee at the counter apologising for the same and requesting me to delete the video.

When we spoke to Sandeep Katia, Area Manager at Dominos, he said, “We’re extremely sorry for this inconvenience. We always ensure maximum safety and offer safe and hygienic food.”

Not just as a customer but also as a journalist at Nation Next, I felt I must raise this issue, primarily due to his indifference over the lowest level of hygiene being maintained for a multinational brand, for which people pay through their nose. I have seen youngsters, pregnant women, teenagers thriving on pocket money and kids, relishing these pizzas. And to willingly provide them contaminated food, I feel, is criminal!

I’m attaching a video of the same below.