A ramen restaurant owner in Kyoto, Japan, took an extreme approach to handling a bad review—offering a cash reward for identifying the customers who left it.

The owner of TOYOJIRO, a highly-rated Jiro-style ramen shop, publicly called out two male diners who left a scathing one-star review. In a now-deleted Instagram post, he not only shared their photo but also promised a 100,000 yen (approx RM2,949) per person for anyone who could track them down, according to Dexerto.

The restaurant owner didn’t hold back, using aggressive language to confront the negative reviewers.

“I saw your post, and you seem a bit weird,” he wrote. “We try not to treat people like you as customers, so it’s fine. But you should probably avoid eating out. Someday, someone like you will get screwed. I don’t care—just come directly, and I’ll deal with you.”

He even went as far as saying the bounty would remain until the customers returned, ate at the restaurant again, and replaced their bad review with a positive one.

“The only thing he can do is come back, eat again, and write a good review with a photo,” the owner stated. “I told him I won’t forgive him otherwise—not even for the safety of his family. If he does that, he’ll be killed right away. This kid is so scared.”

The shocking response quickly sparked outrage online, with many social media users condemning the owner’s threatening behavior. Facing criticism, he later issued an apology, admitting his reaction had gone too far.

“I know there are pros and cons. For an act that went too far, I’m reflecting on this,” he wrote in another deleted post. “I’m looking forward to reflecting and moving forward. Thank you.”

The restaurant itself also issued a statement attempting to repair its reputation, acknowledging the controversy and pledging to do better.

“Our restaurant, which achieved champion status on Japan’s largest ramen site, Ramen Database, just one month after opening, deeply regrets the recent incident we have caused. This incident has resulted in a shameful outcome for us. We are committed to transforming ourselves and becoming a ramen restaurant that is truly supported by customers from around the world.”

Despite the apology, the incident has left many questioning whether the restaurant's reputation can recover from its owner’s fiery outburst.

Source: New York Post