In this Shivamogga restaurant, eat how much you want, pay whatever you feel like

It was like Hyderabad’s IKEA moment for a hotel in Tirthahalli town of Shivamogga when hundreds of people thronged it to relish its unique offer.
People queue up in front of Annalakshmi in Thirtahalli on Friday | Express
People queue up in front of Annalakshmi in Thirtahalli on Friday | Express

SHIVAMOGGA: It was like Hyderabad’s IKEA moment for a hotel in Tirthahalli town of Shivamogga when hundreds of people thronged it to relish its unique offer. The restaurant Shri Annalakshmi, which has come up opposite the main bus stand in the town had announced that people could pay anything they wished for an unlimited meal. The offer is not just valid for the inauguration day, but will continue even afterwards.

The offer on unlimited meal with no bill is available between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm when people can have a full-rice meal along with vegetables and buttermilk, and they can pay anything according to their wish. On Friday, more than 600 people queued up to indulge in the mega meal without paying a definite bill, and the hotel had to extend the time till 3 pm to ensure everybody got their fill. Hotel owner Govardhan S R is a native of Nanjangud and settled down in Tirthahalli about six years ago. “I am overwhelmed by the response. However, we could not cater to all our customers as many thought it was a free lunch. The concept of unlimited food and making customers choose their own contribution is based on temple food centres. In temples, you eat food and give a donation. Ours is similar to that system,” Govardhan said.

Many of the visitors who came to “check out” the unique offer did not make any payment. Some customers paid and some paid extra as well. Former minister Kimmane Ratnakar visited the hotel and complimented the staff. The afternoon meal was inaugurated by Town Municipality President Sandesh Javali. “For many years, I have been involved in social work and used to provide food at Rameshawa temple every Monday. As the temple was opened after renovation, the weekly lunch stopped. Since then, my friend T D Raghavendra and I had been discussing how to give clean and inexpensive food to people. That is when we came up with this concept,” the owner said.

The restaurant can accommodate 100 people at a time. Instead of a bill, customers receive a book detailing the concept and donations. “The hotel industry is business-oriented but we can also provide food at a lower price. There are many schoolchildren who come here for educational trips for whom Rs 60 per meal is very costly. Such groups can have their food here and pay whatever they wish. The model is just one-day old and it may take a few weeks to calculate how much loss or profit we are making. The hotel has a variety of foods served at regular rates during non-offer times,” Govardhan added.

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