Pune: Food and Drug Administration on Friday suspended the licences of two iconic FC Road eateries — Vaishali and Roopali — after inspections revealed unhygienic food handling and unsafe kitchen conditions.FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has prohibited both the establishments from undertaking any food business activity, including sales, takeaway orders and home deliveries, until all serious deficiencies are fully rectified. They can resume operations only after a fresh inspection confirms that compliances have been met.“We conducted inspections at both the restaurants and there were some serious hygiene lapses. We have suspended their licences for now. We will be intensifying our inspections across restaurants, clubs and other eateries in the next few weeks,” said Shrikant Karkale, joint commissioner (food), Pune FDA.Nikita Shetty, who runs Vaishali, said, “We are in the process of addressing the compliance issues raised by the authorities.”Roopali’s management said, “We didn’t get any improvement notice from FDA; the licence was directly suspended. We would have definitely addressed the concerns if a warning was given. We are now working towards resolving the issues.”Vaishali scored 58 out of 98 during the inspection, resulting in a “non-compliance” rating. Eateries must score 98 out of 98 to be “compliant”, said a source in FDA.Serious deficiencies were found at Vaishali on Friday despite the issuance of an improvement notice after an earlier inspection in June 2026, said a senior food safety officer. FDA found severe space constraints in the food preparation area.Freezers used to store raw material were found adjacent to the women’s washroom, and the griddle used for preparing dosas and uttapams was placed next to the men’s washroom because of inadequate space in the kitchen, noted FDA. The food safety authorities found boiled potatoes, cooked rice and other ready-to-eat food items stored in an open corridor.The preparation of idli and dosa batter was also being carried out allegedly in an open and unprotected area. The authorities observed that the kitchen did not have insect-proof doors. Raw, chopped vegetables were placed directly above ready-to-eat food items.Temperature records and an updated drinking water test report were unavailable.Roopali restaurant on FC Road was also found to have serious hygiene issues. “The kitchen was open and inadequately protected, exposing food preparation areas to dust, dirt and insects. Water stagnation, inadequate cleaning and improper waste disposal were observed on the premises,” said FDA in a note.Raw material, semi-processed food and ready-to-eat items were stored without proper covering, labelling or “use-by” dates.Diners said FDA’s findings highlighted the need for stricter monitoring of hygiene standards in eateries, particularly those handling large volumes of food daily. “We never thought that such popular eateries could have such hygiene issues. Things like adequate ventilation, pest control and food storage conditions are very important issues,” said Rama Narvekar, a resident of Kothrud.“I am glad that the authorities are intensifying inspections. It will help reduce stomach infections and other illnesses arising from contamination,” said Suresh Tripathy, a resident of Wanowrie.Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is also planning to take action against establishments on FC Road. “PMC has regularly carried out action against encroachments in the side and front margins of food joints and other commercial establishments on FC Road in association with the building permission department. More such actions would be taken on this road in the days to come against the rule violators,” said Balasaheb Dhawale-Patil, the ward officer of the Ghole Road area.
