SMELL the COFFEE!

The cafetaria that has played host to the likes of Indira Gandhi and Feroz Gandhi,the Lucknow unit of the chain of restaurant has transformed to the extent of getting the tagline ‘Fusion — the food joint’. Besides coffee,the exhaustive menu would offer a mix of Indian,Chinese,Italian and Continental cuisine.

“To cater to demands of the new-age clientele,we have changed menu,recreated the ambience and even laid emphasis on hygiene,” says RK Singh,president of the city’s oldest coffee shop.

“There weren’t enough takers for the “unexciting menu and drab interiors” forcing us to adopt fusion,blending past and present to appeal to veterans and youngsters alike.

“The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans was not enough to bring a customer in when options galore all around,” says Singh,adding that that they were battling with a funds crunch since long and the only way to hold out on its own in a competitive market was to change. “But,we won’t sacrifice the ‘flavour of rich tradition’,” says Singh,promising “authentic and affordable fare”,which is the hallmark of ICH.

“Besides,Coffee House will continue to be a place where people would meet,discuss and debate everything under the sun,” he says,reminiscing the good old days when scholars,editors,artists,writers held ‘adda’ sessions here.

“With LCD screen televisions,bright interiors,pastry shop,ice cream parlour,the place is good enough for the young and happening crowd to meet up here,” says Singh. But will the change go down well with veteran visitors? Ask SS Nagar who has been visiting the place for decades: “I miss the taste of the filter coffee cup which was exclusive to ICH.”

On a nostalgic note,he says,“Our lives have been shaped by discussions we had here over cups of coffee and good company. For us,it was like a second home.”

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