The fading jewels of Namma Bengaluru

Bangalore, the city of lakes, a Pensioner’s Paradise, the Garden City of India is known by many other names that describe the beauty and serenity of this city.

The old places in Bangalore viz., Malleshwaram, Cubbon Park, Jayanagar and so on and their tree laden streets that provide you with shade when you walk through them bargaining with the vendors or when you are out for your morning stroll.

CTR Shri Sagar, By 2 Coffee, Indian Coffee House, Veena Stores, Vidhyarti Bhavan, Adigas, MTR and Maiyyas. Say these names and every Bangalorean’s face lights up with joy. A long list of memories are associated with these places for many of us.

For those in the dark these are the places that have been serving South Indian breakfast from historic times. And they are known for their scrumptious Dosas, Idlis, Vadas and Coffee.

Having started by the entrepreneurs many many years ago, and the family business have been passed through generations along with their secret recipes that make these dishes special.

But then every good thing loses its sheen with time. And this is exactly what is happening with these establishments that once boasted about their eminent taste. And the reasons are plenty.

Growing costs of running a business - With infrastructure and workforce costs going up it is difficult to stay ahead in your business if you can't cope up with these changes leading to a steady decline in business and quality.

Maintenance of the quality passed down through generations - The secret recipe that is passed down through generations loses some of its essence as it passes hands. Customers who have been eating at a place for years are able to see the taste dwindling with time.

Adaptability to the new business models - Few of the brands refuse to branch out because of the fear of losing out on the taste and the quality that remains special to that particular place where it all started. For instance MTR and Maiyyas did quite well branching out but with the downfall of the quality and taste varying with branches at times.

Refusing to continue the family business - The younger generation refuses to continue running the family business due to various factors like varying interests, lucrative prospects other places and such.

Competition - With automation and new technology, it becomes a rat race where only the one changing with the times can survive. This has led to many of them compromising on quality to stay ahead and preserve profit margins.

I wish these places figure out way to stay in this long race and they remain the places where you can always relish your childhood memories and tell your kids on how the food there was a very important part of your growing up.