Many still prefer food from pushcarts
BENGALURU: “Its not just the price. For the working class like us, time also matters. That is why we prefer food from pushcart vendors than at the Indira Canteen,’’ says 37-year-old Rajesh, an auto driver.
Rajesh, a resident of Kurabarahalli, leaves home by 9 am and returns around 7 pm. “I have my breakfast and dinner at home, but I have to have lunch outside. Indira Canteen food seems to be good, but for a person like me on the move, we also look for time. I cannot afford to stand for half an hour to buy food just because it is available for `10.
“Also, these canteens do not have provision to park our autos. I understand these are not highend restaurants where car parking is allowed. But I cannot park my auto somewhere else, walk to the canteen and spend time to have lunch there,’’ he noted.
There are many like Rajesh who prefer roadside food over the Indira Canteens. “We do not eat rice every day. We consume rice only on some occasions. If there is no ragi mudde for lunch, it’s an incomplete meal for us. I come here to eat mudde-upsaaru (ragi balls with typical old Mysuru region curry) which costs `15. If I have mudde, I will not feel hungry for at least six hours,’’ says Mahadev, a cab driver who hails from Kannenahalli in Mandya district.
Jayalakshmi and Umesh, who run a pushcart eatery near Ramakrishna Ashrama, say they cater to 80 to 100 people a day. “We provide mudde-upsaaru for `15, rice-sambar for `25 and with Vada for `30. There is no restriction on rice and sambar,’’ Umesh said.
The couple, who are into this business for the last seven years, say Indira Canteens will not affect their business. “After all, we have our customers who still prefer us no matter where they are,’’ Umesh said, pointing to a regular customer Mahadev.