‘Original’ Butt Karahi in Pakistan says UK namesake is ‘fake’

An established restaurant in Pakistan has accused a soon-to-open rival with the same name and branding of being “fake”.

Butt Karahi ‘Original’ in Lahore says it has “started the procedure” of taking legal action against its namesake which is scheduled to launch in east London tomorrow.

Describing itself as “one of the oldest eatery of Lahore, serving the most exotic cuisines [sic]”, the ‘original’ brand not only has a number of restaurants across said city, but also boasts almost 150,000 followers on Facebook.

When asked if the restaurant on 717-719 High Road in Ilford was in anyway associated to them, the Pakistani brand emphatically told FtLion: “No. They are totally fake. It’s unbelievable.”

Going by the username ‘Butt Karahi UK’ on Facebook and Instagram, the rival company has steadily been promoting its launch at 5pm this Friday with an enticing opening offer of 60% off takeaways and 50% off dine-in bookings.

Butt Karahi UK already under-fire on Facebook

But the London restaurant has already come under-fire on Facebook with some members having accused it of being a “rip off”.

“It’s a real shame you had to rip off someone elses success & hardwork,” commented Amir Niazi, with Abdul Aziz claiming that “they should also mention that they’re ripping off an established brand, they have no ties to the original”.

The restaurant has also failed to answer direct questions put to them on five separate occasions and by five different people over their alleged affiliation.

One Facebook member, Hamza Khalid, even posted a screenshot of a question addressed to Butt Karahi’s official social page asking: “Is this your official branch?” to which they replied: “We’re sending them a notice,” before concluding: “It’s fake.”

Butt Karahi UK has yet to respond to FtLion’s inquiry over its apparent affiliation to Butt Karahi in Pakistan.