#BoycottCannoli: Islamabad restaurant owners say they are 'appalled' at reaction over video
Owners say they are "not required" to prove anything or defend themselves as kind employers
January 21, 2021
The owners of the Islamabad restaurant, Cannoli by Cafe Soul, have shared a statement on Instagram in response to the public outrage over a video that went viral on social media.
The video showed the owners mocking the restaurant manager for lacking in English language skills and was slammed by Twitter users.
Read what happened: Islamabad cafe owners slammed for mocking staffer's English
In their statement, the owners said they are "saddened" and "appalled" over the reaction the video gathered.
"We are saddened and appalled by the reaction of the people, how they have misconstrued our banter with a team member," read the statement.
The owners characterised their talk in the video as "gup shup" between a team, saying it was never intended to come across as "hurtful".
"If anyone was hurt or offended we apologise, however that was never our intention," they said.
The statement added that the owners are "not required" to prove anything or defend themselves as kind employers.
"Our team has been with us for a decade, that should speak for itself," it read.
"We are proud Pakistanis who love our language and our culture," the owners added.
