‘Elitist’ Cannoli owners mock restaurant manager’s ‘English’

Uzma and Diya, who own Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, are at the receiving end of outrage for mocking and ridiculing their restaurant manager for his English speaking skills.

In a now-deleted video from the café’s Instagram page, the two women explained how their manager has been working at their café for nine years and has taken three language courses until now. 

They then asked him to introduce himself in English and when he struggled with speaking fluent English, they made fun of him by commenting on the manager’s salary. The manager, Owais, was visibly uncomfortable in the video.

Soon after the video was posted on social media, people started calling out the women for their elitist behavior.

Makes me feel sick to the core! Disgusting how these ladies are actually enjoying humiliating the poor guy.

Somebody tell these ladies the colonial era is long over. Get a life. https://t.co/dlQn6S6jOd

— Alizeh Iqbal Haider (@AlizehIHaider) January 20, 2021

Making fun of the manager’s english in such a derogatory manner is unacceptable, irrespective of how rich you are. Perhaps the owners of Cannoli need to take their money and enrol in classes on basic human decency. https://t.co/zwZed1clOB

— Shanza Faiq (@Shanzaf) January 21, 2021

I want to go to #cannoli cafe and place an order in Punjabi.
I hope Awais has left the job by now and these two "Ugly" English speakers are serving the customers.#BoycottCannoli pic.twitter.com/VaiEYtEngM

— Usman (@Usman) January 21, 2021

Someone in #Islamabad please give Owais bhai a respectable job in the service industry where he’s not ridiculed for entertainment. You can find him at #Canoli

— Ali Gul Pir (@Aligulpir) January 20, 2021

Make sure to never ever visit a place who’s owners have their so-called entertainment at the expense of their employees. If aged feces could talk & record videos this would be it. Now waiting for them to come crying in front of the camera saying they’re sorry when sales plummet. https://t.co/HfmlTervKz

— A (@aeroburner1) January 20, 2021

I would personally pay for these women to take a class on compassion and empathy, but there are some things money can’t buy. https://t.co/gNGkEulObJ

— sohni (@sohnianika) January 20, 2021

Just watched this again. These women shouldnt be given a second chance. Apology or not. This makes me sick to my stomach

— Miss Khawaja (@bissmahmehmud) January 21, 2021

Joke is on you now girls ..#BoycottCannoli https://t.co/96jRIjrjKY

— Waseem Abbasi (@Wabbasi007) January 21, 2021

But you'll come up with another sick video, crying that #Cannoli is a family, and that you were joking because you're just that comfortable with your employees, that people misunderstood it for something else entirely, and you're not at fault! Is #Islamabad going to lap that up?

— Aminah Khan (@AminahKhanM) January 20, 2021

Even Shaniera Akram stepped in to defend Owais and said that she “knows what it’s like being put on the spot to speak another language”.

I know what it’s like being put on the spot to speak another language, even if you know how to speak it, especially if you’re a shy person it’s hard to do when it’s forced, not to mention in front of a camera for someone’s own personal entertainment. Sad to see https://t.co/86jbMBzvcF

— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) January 20, 2021

#Cannoli put #DignityForAll on your menu. The viral video reiterates how deep the #toxic #elitism runs in our society. Everyday it erodes and injures the #selfrespect of the hardworking underserved common man in #Pakistan #CannoliByCafeSoul #Islamabad #

— Sidra Iqbal (@SidraIqbal) January 21, 2021

Hi Uzma and Dia, please stfu(hope you know English) and can we get this hardworking guy a better job where he doesn’t get ridiculed after 9 years of service. https://t.co/9dikRqUbMJ

— Ali Safina (@alisafinas) January 21, 2021

Later, #BoycottCannoli began to trend on Twitter as netizens called for people to boycott the restaurant.

Meanwhile, Cannoli Lahore has said that they are not linked to the Islamabad Branch and that they condemn the incident.