Delicious drinks light on pocket

Old-World Charm

A perfect place to quench your thirst and grab a quick bite, ‘Queens Fruit Juice Stall’, located on Queens Road, is bustling with activity throughout the day. Apart from a variety of fruit juices, it also offers vegetable sandwiches.

“We’ve been in this area for more than 25 years. While we started off only with juices, we recently added snacks to the menu,” says G Sudhakar Shetty, who runs the place. Recalling the early years of the joint, Sudhakar says, “The area used to be very quiet and we would shut down at 5 pm because we never had any business after that.”

He adds, “But today, we work from 8 am to 9 pm and have a continuous flow of visitors.”The area consists of only a few reasonably-priced eateries and ‘Queens...’ is one of them. Sudhakar says their price is their USP. “Our primary concern is that our customers should relish the taste.

Money is secondary,” says Sudhakar. With the working professionals of today being health conscious and hard-pressed for time, Sudhakar says everyone looks for something quick. “Many people these days just want to have fruits or juice for lunch. And they are in such a hurry that they are not willing to wait even a minute.” 

He also points out that they are particular about the sugar levels in the juices. “People are extremely finicky these days and catering to such a picky crowd can be a challenge. We ensure that everything is natural and that we use good quality water,” he adds. The place is run by a team of five. “We actually had to cut down on some items because of labour shortage.

We used to offer chaats earlier. But getting workers and retaining them is very difficult,” he says. Having been in the area for so many years, Sudhakar says, “I personally know everyone who comes here. Actually, most of my customers have been frequenting the place for several years. We hardly have any new ones.”

Says Anand, a regular visitor, “It’s value for money. I am particularly fond of the musambi juice here. It’s refreshing and cool. What’s better is the friendly ambience with the proprietor knowing each of his customers and their tastes well.” Karan, who usually has a sandwich, says, “The place is close to my office. I can just pick a sandwich up and head back. And it’s so light on the pocket. At most restaurants in this area, one has to shell out at least Rs 150.”

‘Queens Fruit Juice Stall’ is located at 18 VRV Court, Queens Road.