‘Why spread communal content?’ Old loyalists from Kol and beyond pour in as bar reopens
Times of India | 3 February 2026
Kolkata: After staying shut for two days following the controversy over meat mix-up, when Olypub reopened on Monday, old loyalists poured in to show their support for the restaurant and enjoy the good old Kolkata vibe.
Following police request, the pub was kept shut on the weekend to avoid any agitation after the Friday evening incident, in which an influencer alleged he was served the wrong meat, leading to a police complaint, the arrest of the waiter who served him and widespread protests on social media, with even other influencers slamming his act.
Joanna Adhikari, a regular at Oly for a decade, decided to be at the restaurant on the day of its reopening. "This place is like a second home to me. I understand someone may have issues with the meat due to religious reasons but that cannot be the grounds for spreading vile content, making it communal," Adhikari said.
Similar was the sentiment of others. "Don't come to a place serving the dish if you are so sensitive. It was a professional error by the waiter. It may happen to anyone. It was okay until the time the influencer criticised the service, but slapping a criminal case is taking it too far. In the video, the influencer asked the waiter his religion and gave it a communal turn. It is wrong," said another patron.
It was not only Kolkatans who turned up at the pub to show their support but also Guwahati resident Saranja Kataki, with his wife, Richita Sarma, and a friend, Victor Das. "We have come for a concert in Kolkata and we will return on Tuesday. While in the city, we had to come to Oly, a must visit for us on every trip here. It offers an old Kolkata bar charm," he said. While it was Saranja's sixth visit, it was Richita's second time. The last time they were here, Richita said, they had brought their child to the pub, along with them. "We saw the video, but we do not care. We didn't know the pub was shut, we are lucky it was open on Monday," Saranja smiled.
Olypub's Azmeen Tangri thanked all the guests and old patrons for their loyalty and backing. "We are grateful for all the support," she told TOI over a call.
Many of the patrons asked about the waiter who was arrested. "We hope he does not lose his job. He just made a mistake. It's okay. He has his family to feed," Joanna said. Azmeen, too, had said on Sunday that the administration would not take any action against the waiter. The influencer also decided to withdraw his complaint. A staff meeting also took place at Olypub, where the management told the staff members to be more careful and assess the situation. "We will definitely retrain the waiters and staff members so that such an unfortunate mistake does not repeat," Azmeen said.