JOIN USThe immortal ghazal Aaj jaane ki zidd na karo by Farida Khanum... welcomes you into Coffee Home in CP. No, it isn’t that the humble Coffee Home has suddenly acquired a new ambience.
The ghazal is being played on a cell phone amongst a group of senior citizens who are having a gala time over cups of coffee. You enter this place and there is something that tells you the difference between the regular coffee joints where Rihanna or Pitbul welcome you, and the good old cafe, situated on Baba Kharak Singh Marg in Connaught Place.
Initially made to welcome senior citizens, today the place serves a mix of seniors, families out for a day’s outing and youngsters too. It will soon be completing 23 years of its services since its opening on 4 February 1989.
According to one of the staff members, most of the crowd comes on Tuesday and Saturday because of the Hanuman Temple situated just opposite the road. Ajay Kumar, senior chief manager, catering, says, “We started by selling a coffee worth Rs 2 and we have reached this far. The purpose to start this was to serve the older people but we get the younger lot too, because of the reasonable (in fact considerably low) prices.”
According to him, they get 1200-1300 visitors on weekends, whereas the number falls by about 25 per cent on weekdays. Although the home doesn’t have an elaborate menu and comprises conventional dishes, the popular ones are the South Indian preparations like dosas, idlis, vadas, kesri halwa and filter coffee. Apart from these, the cafe also has chowmein, vegetarian cutlets, vegetarian biryani and sandwiches etc.
Talking to Metrolife a regular visitor, Neha Rathore, a primary school teacher says, “I have been coming here for two years now. Whenever I come here, I order dosa and dahi vada. This place is so well located and is easy on your pocket too.”
Another visitor Amol Ahuja who had brought his kids to have upma and sambhar specially, says, “I get my children here at least twice a week as they like the food which is served here and it is healthy and hygienic too.”