KARACHI: A consumer court has issued a notice to a coffee shop located in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase-VIII on an application alleging that it is unlawfully using the name of a Thailand-based café chain.

The court has summoned the defendant to appear on Oct 31 to respond to the allegations.

Syed Muhammad Ali Jafri, a consumer, filed an application through his counsel, Abdul Ahad Khan, under the relevant sections of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2015, before the judicial magistrate of the consumer court (South) against the defendant Mondo Coffee Bar, operating in DHA, Phase-VIII.

The counsel alleged that the café was using the “trademark, design, and logo” of Thailand-based café Mondo Espresso & Tea Bar for financial gain through wrongful means.

After a preliminary hearing, the court summoned the defendant “to appear before this court in person, or by a pleader instructed and be able to answer all material question relating to the complaint, or who shall be accompanied by some person able to answer all such questions on October 31, 2025.”

Consumer court will take up matter against Mondo Coffee Bar on 31st

“You are hereby directed to produce on that day all the documents upon which you intend to rely in support of justification and file your written statement on the date of hearing,” the summons added.

In the application, the counsel claimed that after hearing about the much-hyped coffee shop in the DHA — initially operating under the name Mondo Espresso & Tea Bar and promoted as part of an international coffee chain — which later changed its name to Mondo Coffee Bar, the plaintiff visited the café in May along with a colleague and purchased coffee, believing it to be a branch of the Thailand-based coffee brand.

However, the applicant maintained that he was “astonished and stunned” to learn through social media that the DHA-based café was allegedly “wrongfully, illegally, fraudulently, and without lawful authority” using the brand name and trademark logo of the Thailand-owned Mondo Espresso & Tea Bar.

Referring to the official Instagram page of the Phuket-based café, counsel Mr Ahad submitted that the original café had clarified that the coffee shop operating in Pakistan under a similar name had no association with the defendant, who had allegedly “cleverly stolen” the name, logo, and design closely resembling the original brand.

He added that the defendant was allegedly using coffee cups, takeaway bags, and tissue papers bearing a trademark logo and design strikingly similar to that of the Thailand-based coffee brand.

The counsel argued that the plaintiff fell within the definition of a consumer, while the defendant qualified as a manufacturer, and that coffee constituted a product under the relevant sections of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act (SCPA), 2015.

He added that the defendant’s dishonest acts clearly fell within the definition of faulty and defective services under Section 13 of the Act, amounting to a blatant violation of its provisions.

The counsel further contended that the defendant had allegedly violated Section 21 of the Act, which pertains to false, deceptive, and misleading representation, thereby constituting an unfair practice through false misrepresentation.

He maintained that the plaintiff was therefore entitled to damages, compensation for economic loss, special damages, consequential and non-consequential relief, and a refund of payment.

The counsel pleaded for an award of Rs5 million to the plaintiff as damages for providing faulty and defective services and deceptive marketing.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2025