The Last Hours at Indian Coffee House

On the 5th of April, 2009 one more historic place which has remained as one of the garden city's talking joints, the Indian Coffee House was reaching its last breath of steaming fresh filter coffee. The Coffee house which has served many top personalities in the past six decades was on its last journey to death. This Coffee place gets one back to old memories during my stint with the Times of India - Bangalore edition from 1987 to 1993.
When I got to know that the 5th of April would be its last day, it made me feel as though a part of me was being split up and put to rest. So I quickly got my camera and went to the heritage old place to get some pictures of the last few hours and also ensure that I have my last cup of filter coffee from this house.
The coffee house played host to some regulars or occasional visitors to Bangalore's most popular avenue, M.G. Road in the past 50 years of its existence, apart from playing host to personalities like former Prime Minister’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee, H D Deve Gowda, painter M F Husain, Jnanpith awardees U R Anantha Murthy and Girish Karnad, filmstars Dr. Rajkumar, Ambreesh, Vishnu Vardhan, Mohanlal to name a few.
Run by the Indian Coffee Workers' Cooperative Society Limited, the Coffee House was established in Jan 1958. The end came as the society lost a legal battle with the owner of the building to continue in the premises.
'The court had directed the Coffee House to vacate the premises in 2006. However, we managed to get an extension till March. Now we have no other option but to move out and find an alternative place for ourselves,' Ravi, the manager of Indian Coffee House, told me when I spoke to him during his last working hours and added in the same breath that 'We are looking for a place on MG Road to restart our business. Till then the employees, 48 in all have to remain without any salary.
Regulars to the coffee house for the past 35 years Shanmugam and Natrajan were there on Sunday, to sip their last cup, narrated some of the best times of their lives they had under this roof which will be closed in a few hours. Shanumagam said that he had met Natatajan a hockey player then and now a hockey referee and coach, here at the same table they are sitting in 35 years ago, and now had come with their wife and children to bid a snuffled farewell to their thrice a week meeting place.
'I worked in the Coffee House for the last 25 years. It is hard to believe that it has been closed. I have enjoyed serving the visitors all these years,' said Peter John, a waiter in his mid-40s, sporting his red turban and white unvarying.
Hanumanthaiah, coffee maker had delighted many discerning coffee lovers, said the place had been his home for almost three decades.’
‘I prepared filter coffee for coffee lovers for almost 30 years. Coffee House was my home and I am homeless today,' lamented 50-year-old Hanumanthaiah.
Even as he regulars for decades came to bid a appetite fill farewell to their second home, the youngsters who were regulars for 5 to 8 years had started to put an online ‘Save Indian Coffee House’, campaign on various social networking sites.
The Manager Ravi said that the society is looking for a alternate place on M G Road but till they do get one the employees in all 47 will have to stay without any salary.
Sweating and knowing regular customers on first term basis were two waiters Gangaiah and Chinappa, who had no words on the last working day as they kept their weeping hearts within themselves and put up a smiling face to the customers and the media, serving them with utmost pride.
Below are the pictures taken by me during the last few hours before the coffee house closed doors and the locks put on for one last time to end a rule of the coffee on M G Road, Bangalore.

The Waiters Chinappa and Gangaiah go about their duty on the last working day serving the customers at the Indian Coffee House at 4.35PM, on 5th April, 2009.

Some of the Regulars for the past few year (left) and the old time regulars Shanumugam and Natrajan (right) enjoy their last cup of Coffee on the first floor of the Coffee House at 5.05 pm on 5th April, 2009.

Hanumanthaiah the coffee maker at the coffee house for the past 30 years prepares the last filter coffee and serves them into waiting cups at 5.30pm on 5th April, 2009.






Lakshmi films her husband Shankar and their child outside the Coffee House, where they had met and fell in love. They stumbled in not knowing it was the eatery's last day.








A couple pose for a picture with one of their regular waiters as DNA Money editor Chitti Pantulu leans over to a side to give way for me to take the picture, at Coffee House on 5th April, 2009 at 7.45pm.





A art student sketches some of the last moments at the Coffee House (left) as smokers stand at their space meant for them between the ground and the first floor staircase sipping their coffee with a cigarette (top).




The chefs of the Indian Coffee House prepare the dosas and omelets for one last time on 5th April, 2009. The Omelet being prepared (left top) and the Dosa being steamed on the hot tawa (top right) as another cook moves some plates of Dosa and Omelet from the first floor kitchen to the ground floor kitchen through the 50 year old hand mad pulley (left).





History pieces displayed for one last time: the Cash counter on the first floor (top left), H Ramalinga and Gangaiah in the uniform for one last time. These Traditional uniforms have been with them for the past 38 years during their service (top) and the menu card which (left) which I also took procession for my keeps as an memory memento.




The Gate keeper locks the doors of the Indian Coffee House on M G Road for one last time at 8.45 pm (left) as the Evening staff pose for a group picture (right) at 8.55 pm.

Vinay Kamat and me have the last plate of omelet and cutlet at the Indian Coffee House which we used to visit 20 years ago (left) as Vinay Kamat and Chitti Pantulu pose for a picture with the staff of the Indian Coffee House (right) after the locking of the doors for last time.