Mumbai’s 120-Year-Old, Iconic Kyani Cafe Faces FDA Action Over Major Hygiene Violations
Mumbai, 29th September 2026: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food licence of Mumbai’s 120-year-old Irani cafe Kyani & Co in Kalbadevi and ordered its immediate closure after an inspection found multiple food safety and hygiene violations.
The inspection was carried out on September 27 as part of the FDA’s statewide festive-season crackdown. Officials found cats, rat droppings, live flies and dead cockroaches in the cafe’s food preparation and storage areas, according to the FDA. Blood had also accumulated inside a refrigerator, while an open sewage manhole was found in the processing section.
The inspection also found food stored directly on the floor and raw dough covered with newspaper. Officials noted that raw and ready-to-eat food was not being stored separately.
Following the inspection, the FDA directed the establishment to immediately stop the purchase, manufacture, processing, storage, sale and distribution of food products.
Kyani & Co, established in 1904, is among Mumbai’s oldest surviving Irani cafes and has been known for its long-standing presence in the city. However, the latest action follows findings related to food storage, sanitation and pest control during the FDA inspection.
The action against Kyani was part of a wider five-day enforcement drive conducted across Maharashtra between September 23 and 27. During the crackdown, the FDA suspended the licences or registration certificates of 30 food establishments and seized 50,601.78 kg of food products worth ₹1.19 crore.
In Mumbai alone, 13 establishments faced licence suspension, closure orders or other legal action. These included Colaba Sweet Mart, Arun Vilas Farsan, Ruchi Veg Restaurant, Daffodils Fast Food Inn and a Subway outlet in Lower Parel, among others.
At Colaba Sweet Mart, officials found live cockroaches, lizards, flies and larvae, while inspectors also reported uncovered food kept near dirty mop water. The establishment was also found lacking certain pest-control measures, staff medical fitness records and personal protective equipment.
The FDA has also initiated legal proceedings against several other food businesses in Mumbai over alleged violations of food safety and hygiene requirements.
Across the state, the crackdown covered establishments in Mumbai, Konkan, Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions, with further action reported in other districts. The FDA said the enforcement drive was aimed at checking food safety, hygiene, storage and licensing compliance ahead of the festive season.
