Dubai: Ravi Restaurant staff, owners refute rumours that they hadn’t paid salaries

Dubai: Ravi Restaurant staff, owners refute rumours that they hadn’t paid salaries

Viral social media post also claimed they had shut down a section of an outlet

By SM Ayaz Zakir Published: Sat 23 Jul 2022, 5:49 PM Last updated: Sat 23 Jul 2022, 6:42 PM

Staff and owners of Dubai institution Ravi Restaurant have denied all allegations against them regarding non-payment of salaries and partial closure of the popular outlet.

A popular online media channel reported Friday that the Ravi Restaurant branch in Satwa had closed a section of its restaurant and had not paid its staff salaries for over a year. The story was based on a social media post from one Dubai resident who claimed a section of the restaurant was shut down, owners hadn't paid the staff for 15 months, and they were given no benefits.

However, Khaleej Times visited at least two restaurant branches on Saturday to find the partial closure of the outlet in Satwa has been in place since 2020 after the pandemic hit.

At least 12 restaurant staff said they had received their salaries on time for the past several months. Waiters Shahji, Zubair, Ismail, and Haneefa noted a lapse in dues payment during the pandemic; however, the owners paid the staff their dues as the brand was 'slowly