57% consumers saw dirty kitchens, dining areas, washrooms in restaurants: Survey

Air conditioning, polished interiors and a hefty bill may make a restaurant look premium, but a new LocalCircles survey suggests consumers are far less confident about what happens behind the kitchen door.57% consumers saw dirty kitchens, dining areas, washrooms in restaurants: SurveyA recent food-safety inspection in Bengaluru has once again put restaurant hygiene under the spotlight, with officials seizing 132 kg of food items and 15 litres of used cooking oil from food businesses. The inspection reportedly flagged rotten meat, expired dairy products, fungus-infested food and improperly stored preparations.The findings come amid growing concerns among consumers about hygiene standards at restaurants across India. A recent LocalCircles survey found that only 32 per cent of consumers surveyed rated the hygiene and food safety standards of air-conditioned restaurants in their area or city as good or excellent.The survey also found that 57 per cent of consumers said they had personally observed dirty dining areas, kitchens or washrooms at restaurants in the last 12 months. More than half said they had seen staff handling food unhygienically, while an equal 53 per cent reported seeing cooking oil being reused.The survey received more than 91,000 responses from consumers across 244 districts of India, although the individual questions had between roughly 22,000 and 24,000 responses.57% SAY THEY HAVE SEEN DIRTY KITCHENS, DINING AREAS OR WASHROOMSThe perception becomes more worrying when consumers were asked what they had actually witnessed in restaurants over the previous 12 months.According to the survey, 57 per cent said they had personally seen dirty dining areas, kitchens or washrooms. But that wasn't the only complaint.53 per cent said they had seen staff handling food unhygienically53 per cent had observed cooking oil being reused50 per cent had seen food heated or served in plastic containers that may not be food-grade or microwave-safe45 per cent had seen cockroaches, rats, flies or other pests45 per cent had noticed poor separation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food40 per cent had come across food that appeared stale or repeatedly reheatedOnly 5 per cent said they had seen none of these problems. In other words, more than nine in 10 respondents reported witnessing at least one hygiene or food safety issue first-hand in the past year.DIRTY KITCHENS TOP THE LIST OF CONSUMER FEARSInterestingly, consumers aren't just worried about what they can see.When asked which food safety practices concerned them the most, dirty kitchens, dining areas and washrooms topped the list at 79 per cent.But the next two concerns involved practices that customers may not be able to detect simply by sitting at a restaurant table.74 percent were concerned about stale or leftover food being reused, while 72 per cent were worried about cooking oil being reused.Other concerns included:Expired or improperly stored ingredients: 63 per centCockroaches, rats and other pests: 61 per centPoor personal hygiene among staff: 61 per centFood being heated in unsafe plastic containers: 60 per centMixing vegetarian and non-vegetarian food: 47 per centThat creates an interesting problem for consumers: the things they worry about most are often the things they cannot see.A customer can spot a dirty washroom. It is much harder to know whether the oil used to fry their food has been repeatedly reused or whether yesterday's leftovers have made their way onto today's menu.CONSUMERS WANT RESTAURANT HYGIENE RATINGS TO BE PUBLICSo what do people want regulators to do?The most popular demand was surprisingly straightforward: make restaurant hygiene ratings public.According to the survey, 74 per cent of consumers want hygiene ratings displayed at restaurants and on food delivery apps.Another 72 per cent want quarterly hygiene inspections, while 71 per cent want higher penalties for repeat offenders.Consumers also backed:69 per cent — ban heating food in non-food-grade or non-microwave-safe plastic containers68 per cent — publicly disclose restaurants violating food safety norms66 per cent — immediately suspend licences for serious hygiene violations61 per cent — maintain mandatory records on disposal of used cooking oil61 per cent — mandatory separation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food preparation areasWHY THIS MATTERS NOWThe survey comes as restaurant food safety has come under renewed scrutiny following enforcement action in Maharashtra.Between July 24 and 27, the Maharashtra FDA suspended the FSSAI licences of several prominent Mumbai clubs and restaurants after inspections reportedly found issues including pest infestations, expired food, poor sanitation, clogged drains, stagnant water and improper food storage.The action has also spread beyond Maharashtra.On August 7, Karnataka deployed 30 special teams to inspect 26 three-star and five-star hotels in Bengaluru. Officials reportedly found expired food products, fungal growth, rotten meat, expired milk, storage violations and problems with vegetarian and non-vegetarian food segregation.Meanwhile, food safety data presented to Parliament showed that 40,023 of 2,23,808 food samples analysed in FY 2025-26 were found unsafe, substandard or misbranded, close to one in five samples.THE BIG PROBLEM: CAN CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY CHECK?India already has an FSSAI Hygiene Rating Scheme, under which food outlets can receive a rating from one to five.But according to the LocalCircles report, the scheme is voluntary and is not widely displayed.That leaves consumers in an awkward position.You can check a restaurant's reviews, menu and ambience before ordering. But you may have little idea about when it was last inspected, what inspectors found or whether its hygiene rating is current.The survey therefore found strong support for making hygiene ratings visible both at the restaurant and on food delivery platforms.RESTAURANT INDUSTRY PUSHES BACKThe crackdown has also triggered opposition from restaurant and hotel industry bodies.The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India), National Restaurant Association of India and Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association have sought intervention from the Centre and Maharashtra authorities, arguing that licence suspensions and public naming should follow the due process under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, except where there is an immediate public-health risk.The Bombay High Court also quashed one hotel licence suspension by the FDA on July 30, according to the LocalCircles report.So the debate is no longer simply about whether restaurants should be inspected.It is also about how often they should be inspected, how violations should be dealt with and, perhaps most importantly, how much of that information the customer should be allowed to see.- EndsPublished By: vaishnavi parasharPublished On: Aug 10, 2026 17:35 IST