One of Sydney’s most iconic eateries, The Grounds of Alexandria, finds itself embroiled in a controversy after an explosive allegation by a TikTok influencer.
Diya Sharma claims her car tyre was slashed in retaliation for her use of its parking lot without making a purchase.
The 21-year-old store manager at Glassons claimed to have spent $340 on repairing a flat tyre, which she at first attributed to a typical road hazard.
She said she used The Grounds’ parking lot, a renowned hotspot notorious for its scarce parking options, on two previous occasions, the last of which she experienced a flat.
On her third attempt to park at The Grounds this week, Ms Sharma was allegedly confronted by a person connected to the venue’s parking management who informed her that the tyre had been deliberately slashed during her previous visit.
“Today I went back to the same place, went through The Grounds, and then the guy stopped me … He was like, ‘What are you doing here? I know you park here, and I know you don’t go to The Grounds, and I know you’re going to stay here the whole day’.”
She was allegedly confronted by a staffer and chose to leave, but before departing, the staffer allegedly told the young woman her tyre would be “slashed” again if she parked there.
She claimed the staffer said: “(Another staffer) slashed your tyre last week, didn’t you notice?”
The Grounds of Alexandria responded to the allegations through a spokesman, telling the Daily Mail Australia that it was “shocked and disheartened” by the incident and taking the matter with the “utmost seriousness.”
The cafe said it had contacted Ms Sharma to seek more details about the alleged incident and initiated an internal investigation.
The spokesman said the actions described contradicted The Grounds’ business values.
Claiming the cafe’s action resulted in a $340 expense, Ms Sharma questioned why the cafe didn’t issue a parking fine or leave a note.
She described the encounter to the Daily Mail as “absolutely horrible” and admitted to being left in a state of shock, almost in tears.
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According to The Grounds’ website, its parking is exclusively reserved for customers, with a two-hour time limit, operating on a first-come, first-served basis.
The popular cafe, founded by businessman Ramzey Choker, has since expanded, establishing additional locations in Sydney’s CBD and South Eveleigh.
The Grounds of Alexandria has been contacted for further comment.
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