Demand for juice, colas surges as temperatures soar

Juice stalls witness heavy crowd, business up by 50 pc in Feb

With the temperatures soaring in the city for the last few days, fresh juice, butter milk and tender coconut are in great demand. The city recorded a maximum of 32 degree and minimum of 19 degree on Thursday and it looks like the summer has already set in.

A majority of juice stalls are witnessing heavy crowd and business has been almost 50 per cent more compared to last month. Even roadside tea shop vendors have started preparing masala butter milk and are selling cucumbers.

Many people prefer tender coconut and fruit juice to beat the heat. Ice cream parlours and juice joints are also doing good business. There is also a great demand for sugar cane juice, sold by roadside vendors.

Juice stalls are selling dry fruits, banana, apple, pineapple, sapota (chikkoo), pomegranate, watermelon, musk- melon, mango and grape juices and water in their outlets. Besides mineral water, packaged juice and buttermilk are in great demand at crowded places like bus station, railway station and near education institutions.

During evening hours, restaurants are filled with customers enjoying ice creams and soft drinks to prevent dehydration. “We sell almost all types of fruit juices, including banana milk shake, apple, pineapple, watermelon, mango, muskmelon, grape and sapota, and also sell sweet and salt lassi. The price ranges between Rs 20 and Rs 80 and most of the customers prefer watery fruit juices, which help fight dehydration,” said Akshay, a juice stall owner near Udupi Upahar at Bannimantap.

Even though people feel that the prices are a little higher compared to last year, they are consuming liquid food to beat the heat. Ramya Arun, a homemaker, said, “The prices are little high but, we do not have an option, but to consume liquid food”. She said, she prefers juice or tender coconut, instead of coffee or tea, and also serves fruit juice or ragi malt to her children and husband in the evenings.A tea vendor near the court said, customers ask for butter milk, instead of tea. “Tea business has dipped in the past few days and thus I am preparing butter milk, which is in good demand,” he said.