Smally’s on Church Street is a magnet for college students and though its has been profiled before, it constantly keeps reinventing itself. The ambience is a big hit with its wooden benches and stools, cushions, graffiti on the walls, framed old posters, bottles converted into lamps, cups and saucers nailed on the ceiling, and a flat screen television. Fruit juices and milk shakes are served in mason jars.
Nikhil Hegde, the owner of Smally’s first invested `20 lakh on a 138 square feet basement garage at Assaye Road in Ulsoor with the assumption that he could go as small as he wanted as there was a demand for takeaways and deliveries.
The initial curiosity about the cafe’s size soon turned into appreciation for its Continental and American food that included burgers, fish and chips, pizzas, steaks and pastas, and some Mangalorean dishes. Their fastest moving dish currently is the 170 gm Trucker Burger. Different dishes are introduced every three months. Hegde is also considering opening three more similar places across Bengaluru. He says, “Trends are always changing. People are looking for new concepts whether it is in clothes, food or gadgets.” The Church Street outlet was opened next. Helming the food is Chef John Paul, who brings with him the experience of 12 years, including a work stint at micro-breweries that catered to no less than 600 to 800 customers a day.
Says Hegde, “Smally's stands apart from other cafés because here, food is prepared freshly, and there are no preservatives used. A sandwich or a burger is served fresh in less than 10 minutes. The meats and other raw ingredients are bought every morning. We never carry forward meat to the next day, even though we have more dishes on the menu than most QSR chains.” He informs that they get 90 to 120 walk-ins in a day, but the delivery module comprises a sizable chunk.”
Smally’s also has special events like the Father’s Day Special at its Church Street outlet where a live Jazz performance by Gerard Machado during the lunch hour can be enjoyed. Smally's now also offers home delivery from Church Street.