MANGALURU: Sevanur Ramachandra Bhandary, popularly known as Omelette Bhandary, who is known for his unique general store, that provides omelettes apart from other food items, is now going to close his store after 52 years. However, Bhandary will continue his main occupation, social work, which he is renowned for, even after he shuts shop on December 31.
A radio hums on, and a non-mobile zone (Bhandary has kept it that way) welcomes visitors into a rustic little shop where the only constant change is the ever-changing stream of visitors over the decades. It has been a meeting point for many youths and a key spot for exchange of ideas with ‘omelette pe charcha’.
“It’s time to retire. And 52 years is a long time. I will now have time for social service,” says Bhandary, who joined the family business after he quit his profession as an automobile engineer in his early 20s. The shop was just another general store, till he decided to take the plunge and innovate.
“Eggs came for 5 paise from a friend’s poultry farm. And while omelettes were a commonly accepted dish, not many made it outside the confines of their homes,” he said. Two hotels were selling omelettes, but never a general store, he added.
Bhandary’s omelette too underwent changes. As the roads got wider and the grounds gave way for Mangala stadium, the demand for omelettes reduced among young cricketers, who had often thronged the shop after they placed bets for omelettes.
“Now, the ground has turned into a stadium and cars ferry young athletes home,” says Bhandary, who saw the quiet Kulur Ferry road expand and buildings replace trees on either side.
However, the last month has kept Bhandary busy with several old customers coming back, and his biggest fans who visit him to have a light conversation, hope for an extension of another year, like he did the previous time.