Chicking sacks manager after knife scare at Kochi outlet

Kochi: Fast-food chain Chicking has sacked the manager of its MG Road outlet in Kochi following a violent altercation that began as a dispute over the quantity of chicken strips in a burger.
​The chain took action after visuals surfaced showing the manager brandishing a knife during a scuffle with customers that took place on December 30.

In a statement addressing the incident, Chicking confirmed the dismissal, stating that “no individual is allowed to take rules into their own hands.” The company emphasised its zero-tolerance policy toward violence and disorderly conduct, adding that the safety of customers and staff is their top priority.

​”Internal protocols and staff training are being reviewed and reinforced to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future,” the statement added.

The trouble began when four students, visiting Kochi for a CBSE sports meet, complained that the burger they ordered at the outlet had fewer chicken strips than expected. The argument heated up when the manager, Joshua, a resident of Mundamveli in West Kochi, objected to the students recording the dispute on their phones.

​The situation exploded when adults accompanying the students arrived. CCTV footage captured a chaotic scene where the manager retrieved a knife from the kitchen and brandished it at the group after his phone was allegedly taken. The visuals also showed the customers restraining Joshua, forcing him to drop the knife, and later assaulting him. 

The Ernakulam Central Police have registered cases against both sides. The manager faces charges for threatening the customers with a weapon, while four people from the customers' group have been booked for assaulting the manager and snatching his phone worth ₹83,000.