Credit: Special Arrangement
Reservation calls at Vidyarthi Bhavan surged by 50% the past weekend, a day after the Gandhi Bazaar eatery posted a video about their booking system on social media.
Famous for its buttery masala dosa and accompanying fried Bengal gram chutney, the restaurant allows same-day reservations. But the system isn’t new, owner Arun Adiga clarifies. “It was introduced a year and a half ago. Our regular customers are familiar with it and we have been informing walk-in customers personally,” he shares.
The video was posted on February 28 in a bid to offer a glimpse of the operations at the restaurant, running since 1943. Adiga says they are planning more such videos.
“After the video went viral, one evening we had slots booked until
10 pm. We had to tell callers to try their luck walking in,” he adds. Half of the restaurant’s 120 seats are reserved for bookings, while the rest are for walk-ins.
He clarifies that the reservation system is for booking seats, not tables. The eatery offers communal dining across its four- and six-seater tables.
On weekdays, Vidyarthi Bhavan typically sees a footfall of 1,000, with that number rising to 1,500–2,000 on weekends. Most reservation calls are for Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings.