A man was told a cafe had no mayo for his sandwich, so he bought gasoline and set the place on fire

A man who set fire to a cafe in Spain because staff could not give him mayonnaise for his sandwich has been handed a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence. José Rafael G. M. appeared before a court in Seville, where he admitted to starting the blaze at Las Postas cafe in Los Palacios y Villafranca.

As reported by Dexerto, the situation started on August 20, 2025, when the 50-year-old visited the cafe with his son and ordered sandwiches. When staff told him they had run out of mayonnaise and ketchup for his pork loin and cheese sandwich, he left the restaurant. 

He reportedly went to a nearby gas station and purchased gasoline. He returned just minutes later with a 1.5-liter bottle of fuel and asked about the sauces once again. When staff gave him the same answer, he poured gasoline across the counter and set it on fire with a lighter.

Two workers suffered minor injuries

CCTV footage captured the moment flames erupted inside the cafe, forcing customers and employees to flee. Several children were inside at the time, and two workers suffered minor injuries. Witnesses restrained José Rafael until police arrived at the scene. He has already spent more than a year in pretrial detention following his arrest.

Cafe owner José Antonio Caballero described the ordeal as “surreal.” He explained the situation to local media after the event occurred. “The bar didn’t have a kitchen and the sandwiches came ready-prepared. We didn’t have sauces,” he noted. 

He further stated: “He asked for mayonnaise and the waiter told him no, because we don’t have any. We’re a bar that mainly serves breakfast. In the afternoon, we have drinks, coffees and the odd sandwich in case someone gets hungry, not much else.” He also added: “There’s no explanation. It was awful.”

Prosecutors initially sought an 11-year prison sentence for arson. That was reduced to three years and six months after he admitted guilt and paid €9,245 in compensation for the damage. In addition to the prison time, the court ruled that he is banned from coming within 500 meters of the cafe for 10 years. 

He must also pay an additional €360 in fines related to the injuries suffered by the workers. In another unusual twist, mayonnaise giant Hellmann’s announced weeks after the fire that it would help cover the costs of repairing the damaged cafe.