To celebrate 75 years of its journey, Matunga’s iconic Cafe Madras decided to surprise its patrons with prices that had travelled back in time to the year 1940, when the cafe came into being. The result: A bill that amounted to zero
On Tuesday morning, the ‘regulars’ at Matunga’s Café Madras were put in an unusual quandary when they received the bill for the dosas and the idlis they had munched on for breakfast. But it wasn’t the usual challenge of coming to terms with ever-rising inflation, nor was it a case of being billed for more than what’s on the plate. The challenge, in fact was how and where in the world they could hope to find 2 annas! It ended in a surprise both pleasant and peculiar when the age-old eatery’s owner Devavrath Kamath informed his perplexed patrons that their favourite restaurant was in fact celebrating 75 years of serving piping hot filter coffees and authentic idlis and the rates were a throwback to what the menu looked like back in good old 1940. Started as a hole in the wall breakfast eatery with just four items on the menu, Café Madras has become something of a landmark in the vibrant Matunga Circle. But for its third generation owner Devavrath, Tuesday’s surprise was not a celebration of the restaurant’s success or the momentous feeling of accomplishment that comes with completing 75 years. It was, in his own words, “A simple show of gratitude to the faces we have been serving for so many years.”
Speaking of the celebrations Kamath tells us that it was a “very simple event”. They did nothing to publicise the date. There were no grand floral decorations, but only a small chalkboard announcing the occasion. It read: “Welcome. We are celebrating 75 years of Café Madras.” Devavrath says, “All we did was send Whatsapp messages to the people we know. And yet, many who have been coming through the day seem to be aware of it!” While the offer was only open till 12 noon, which used to be the closing time for the eatery in the 40s, Devavrath spent the rest of the afternoon profusely apologising to his other patrons who came in too late to enjoy the surprise.
The event, however, was a grand success, Devavrath tells us, adding that what really made his day was the congratulatory messages from his customers. “Our customers are extremely loyal,” he says. “The highlight was when some of the customers who have been frequenting the place for over 50 years recounted how they had relished idlis for 2 or 3 annas. In some cases the computer even showed a ‘zero’ bill as it rounds off rates less than a rupee and that was that. Most people who came in today were regular customers and some were new. But this wasn’t a gimmick to attract new customers. Everyone during the breakfast hours were charged the throwback 1940s rates for the mentioned items.”
The patrons there couldn’t seem to indulge enough in the nostalgia. Shibani Paryani, who has been frequenting the place for over 40 years now with her parents Subhash and Urmila Bhasin, said, “We have been living in Wadala for 52 years. Earlier, we used to stay in Five Gardens, which is very close to the café. I still remember the old days here. There was no first floor and the tables were all old and wooden. Those and the marble flooring were somewhat of a trademark style of such south Indian eateries. Back then, we would just stroll in and I remember it being a very cosy place. The menu had only few items — there was idli, vada, dosa and coffee and these were the only items we knew. But now there are all kinds of items such as special this and butter that. Earlier, it was different and simple. My only complaint is that now we have to stand in long queues to get in whereas earlier we could just stroll in. But the place has its own charm.”
Loyalty is one quality that sets this eatery apart. When asked what brings them to the eatery, two Sion-based businessmen Sameer Shah and Paras Shah say, “Everything! The most striking aspect about this place is the loyalty of customers. There are so many similar eateries around, but those who frequent Café Madras only prefer this joint.” “The food of course is unquestionably delicious,” adds Sameer. The waiters had an interesting experience observing the customer’s reacting to the bill. “At first they thought it was a mistake of some sort, but when they got to know the prices, they jumped on the occasion and said, ‘okay, get me 10 parcels of idlis and likewise for dosas’. And as soon as they were informed that parcel rates were unchanged, they forfeited the idea. But they were happy nonetheless,” said one of the waiters at the eatery. “In times when daal sells for '280 per kg, our rates in annas and paisas came as quite a surprise to them,” he added.
Talking of the rates, Devavrath explains, saying, “Back then, business was different. Be it in terms of the rents (as there was a rent control commission in place in erstwhile Bombay) or for the price of ingredients. But it wasn’t any kind of a strain on us. We had only done it for the breakfast and there wasn’t an unusually big rush. So those who were lucky got it. The most surprising thing was the coffee — it was for 15p. The idlis, dosas and rava dosas were for 30p-40p. And as there were only these four items on the menu when we opened in 1940, we had the offer on just these. Those who had ordered other items were still charged the regular present day rates.”
It was Devavrath’s grandfather who started Café Madras in 1940. “It started as a breakfast joint. He was a restaurateur and he had several other eateries across the city. But this place has always remained within our family. Me, my father Jagdish Kamath along with my brother and uncle take care of it now.”
