<p>Over the years, the City has lost many of its treasured landmarks. And joining the bandwagon is the little European eatery, Casa Piccola.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The eatery, which is tucked away in the basement of Devatha Plaza on Residency Road, will close down today after nearly 34 years due to sky-rocketing rents and lack of infrastructure. <br /><br />For those who visit the eatery regularly will miss the ‘Fish and Chips’, ‘Sloppy Joe Burgers’ and of course, the ambience that the owners, Bhushan Oberoi and Benjamine Oberoi, had created. <br /><br />Started in 1979, Bhushan remembers the small advertisement that he had placed in the Deccan Herald, announcing the opening of the restaurant. “I will never forget that day as we ran out of food by seven in the evening,” he laughs. <br /><br />Since then the eatery has seen many a familiar face from all walks of life. When the news of its shutting down appeared on a social networking site, Bhushan says, he has been receiving calls and messages from his customers. “It was a difficult choice for both of us. This place was like a baby for us and giving it up was very difficult but circumstances were such that we had no choice,” he says. <br /><br />People like Arundhati Nag, Jagadish Raja, Puneeth Rajkumar and even ace photographer Wasim Khan have been regulars to the place. <br /><br />“I will surely miss the personal attention that Bhushan gave each one of his customers and the tremendous energy with which he cooked and served everyone,” says theatre personality Jagadish Raja, who loved the ‘Sloppy Joe Burger’.<br />One of the first few to introduce European cuisine in the City, Bhushan reveals that at first, he found it very difficult to explain what a pizza or a pasta is. <br /><br />“When I had gone to a local store for a pizza base, they gave me a puzzled look at first. But people here took to the cuisine quickly and welcomed it happily,” he adds. <br /><br />Benjamine, his wife who hails from France, says, “We were one of the first people to start the open-dining concept, with the kitchen open through the day. Couples could come out here and hang out till whatever time they liked and children could run around freely without a worry.”<br /><br />Even the staff here is extremely attached to the place and the thought of leaving it hurts them. <br /><br />Francis, who has worked here for 13 years, says that the place had become his home over the years. <br /><br />“I had started here as an assistant cook and today, I am a senior manager. At ‘Casa Piccola’, we took utmost care of our customers and provided good quality food. As a young man, I remember being overwhelmed seeing celebrities coming here to dine,” adds Francis, who soon plans to take up a franchise of the place. <br /><br />Ask the Oberois if they have planned something special for the last day and Bhushan says, “If it was left to me, I would keep an open house and feed everyone free of cost, but circumstances won’t allow that. <br /><br />But at the end of the day, I would like to thank all those who have served and dined with us over the years. The brand ‘Casa’ will surely move on and hopefully if things turn out well, we will be back,” signs off Bhushan. <br /></p>
<p>Over the years, the City has lost many of its treasured landmarks. And joining the bandwagon is the little European eatery, Casa Piccola.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The eatery, which is tucked away in the basement of Devatha Plaza on Residency Road, will close down today after nearly 34 years due to sky-rocketing rents and lack of infrastructure. <br /><br />For those who visit the eatery regularly will miss the ‘Fish and Chips’, ‘Sloppy Joe Burgers’ and of course, the ambience that the owners, Bhushan Oberoi and Benjamine Oberoi, had created. <br /><br />Started in 1979, Bhushan remembers the small advertisement that he had placed in the Deccan Herald, announcing the opening of the restaurant. “I will never forget that day as we ran out of food by seven in the evening,” he laughs. <br /><br />Since then the eatery has seen many a familiar face from all walks of life. When the news of its shutting down appeared on a social networking site, Bhushan says, he has been receiving calls and messages from his customers. “It was a difficult choice for both of us. This place was like a baby for us and giving it up was very difficult but circumstances were such that we had no choice,” he says. <br /><br />People like Arundhati Nag, Jagadish Raja, Puneeth Rajkumar and even ace photographer Wasim Khan have been regulars to the place. <br /><br />“I will surely miss the personal attention that Bhushan gave each one of his customers and the tremendous energy with which he cooked and served everyone,” says theatre personality Jagadish Raja, who loved the ‘Sloppy Joe Burger’.<br />One of the first few to introduce European cuisine in the City, Bhushan reveals that at first, he found it very difficult to explain what a pizza or a pasta is. <br /><br />“When I had gone to a local store for a pizza base, they gave me a puzzled look at first. But people here took to the cuisine quickly and welcomed it happily,” he adds. <br /><br />Benjamine, his wife who hails from France, says, “We were one of the first people to start the open-dining concept, with the kitchen open through the day. Couples could come out here and hang out till whatever time they liked and children could run around freely without a worry.”<br /><br />Even the staff here is extremely attached to the place and the thought of leaving it hurts them. <br /><br />Francis, who has worked here for 13 years, says that the place had become his home over the years. <br /><br />“I had started here as an assistant cook and today, I am a senior manager. At ‘Casa Piccola’, we took utmost care of our customers and provided good quality food. As a young man, I remember being overwhelmed seeing celebrities coming here to dine,” adds Francis, who soon plans to take up a franchise of the place. <br /><br />Ask the Oberois if they have planned something special for the last day and Bhushan says, “If it was left to me, I would keep an open house and feed everyone free of cost, but circumstances won’t allow that. <br /><br />But at the end of the day, I would like to thank all those who have served and dined with us over the years. The brand ‘Casa’ will surely move on and hopefully if things turn out well, we will be back,” signs off Bhushan. <br /></p>
