NEW DELHI: A little less than a year after Kanta Prasad of 'Baba ka dhaba' fame was showered with monetary support from across the country resulting in the opening of a restaurant, the 80-year-old is back at his roadside eatery, following a short and unsuccessful stint as a restauranteur.
"The restaurant did well in the beginning. After a while, customers stopped coming, and the expenses were a lot more than the income."
"I had to spend Rs 1 lakh to run the restaurant, but we were earning only Rs 30,000," Prasad said, adding he is back at his old dhaba and is "happy" with it.
When asked why he decided to open a restaurant so soon after receiving the monetary support, he said he was encouraged about the idea by some social workers, including Tushant Adlakha.
"The social workers came and did everything. They only set up the restaurant. I did not know or understand what they were doing," he said.
Prasad came into the spotlight last year when a post on social media showing him crying because of his financial woes became viral, provoking overwhelming support in cash and in kind.
Prasad allegedly received a total of Rs 42 lakh as help, said social worker Adlakha, who had helped 'baba' set up the new restaurant.
He however denied Prasad's allegations about encouraging him to open a restaurant.
"He already had the idea. I just helped him execute what he and his sons wanted," he said.