Iconic Coffee House reopens after 103 days
Kolkata: The iconic Indian Coffee House in Kolkata's College Street area — a favourite joint of poets, writers, painters and artists over the years — reopened on Thursday, 103 days after downing its shutters due to the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown.
As the gates of the heritage eatery opened at 11 am, around 25 customers, most of them regulars at the eatery, trooped in. To ensure social distancing, arrangements were made for fewer than normal customers on the two floors of the eatery, a spokesman of Indian Coffee House said. "We have disinfected the entire premises and made wearing masks mandatory for both the patrons and staff. Today (Thursday), the footfall has been 200. Earlier, it used to be anything between 8000 and 10000," said Zahid Hussain, cashier of Indian Coffee House.
The authorities reopened the joint after holding talks with the local police station and health department over COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines.
The eatery will be open from 11 am to 6 pm every day excepting Sundays. In the pre-COVID era, the Coffee House usually operated between 9 am and 9 pm.
Without raising the price, the iconic eatery is now serving only four items — pakoras, toast, omelette and sandwiches on disposable food plates instead of cups and saucers. However, other items including boiled eggs, fried egg and plain bread slices will be offered in the near future.
"I am very excited that the Indian Coffee House has reopened. I have been coming here since my school days. I really missed the adda sessions," said Prabir Sen Sarma, a retired government official and resident of Kakurgachi.
