The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Wake up and smell coffee

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Saturday, May 23, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Wake up and smell coffee

Deepika Arwind

Bangalore’s landmark coffee house shifted to Church Street

The new location was found after a frantic search
It will have the same menu with no hike in prices

BANGALORE: Reams have been written and blogged about the regulars’ loyalty to India Coffee House.

But loyalty in this case is an equitable virtue, as India Coffee House proves on Saturday morning, by opening its new doors on Church Street to all those who are still mourning its absence on M.G. Road.

India Coffee House Version 2.0 opens in a city with a fast-changing face and vanishing landmarks. The new space is at Brigade Gardens which used to earlier house a popular Japanese restaurant.

Inevitable

Ravi Chandran, one of the Directors of India Coffee House, says that moving out of M.G. Road was inevitable.

The month that followed was one of frantic search for a place that would not compromise on space to accommodate its customers. “It has been a struggle to find a place to cater to our old customers,” said Mr. Chandran, adding that the final negotiations took weeks.

“Of course, this is much smaller compared to our old Coffee House.”

Yet, everything about the new 1,400 sq ft. space will be the same, except for centralised air-conditioning. It will have the same menu with no hike in prices, the same furniture and, most importantly, the presence of every single member of the previous staff. “We made sure that everyone comes back here,” Mr. Chandran said.

And despite the staffers’ anxiety about the hiatus, he said they are happy to be back and raring to swing back into action as the weekend takes off.

“Weekends were the best days on M.G Road,” Mr. Chandran sighed, hoping to see a good turnout on Church Street as well. “We should be back to normal business in 15 to 20 days. We have a small puja at 7 a.m. and will begin the day by eight.”

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