Pune on My Plate: From students to professionals, here’s why IMDR canteen is loved by everyone in the campus belt

Popularly known as the IMDR Canteen, the eatery was opened at the Deccan Education Society (DES) campus in 2011 as the dream project of the late Vivek Khare, who then owned Suvidha Hospitality that manages the canteen. He believed wholeheartedly that college students deserved healthy, hygienic food free of the junk that usually fills campus menus. He introduced refreshing alternatives, kokum sarbat, buttermilk, limbu sarbat, and milkshakes – drinks that tasted like home rather than the chemically induced flavour of carbonated drinks.

Walk in on any weekday morning and you’re greeted by the clatter of steel plates, the murmur of conversations, and the unmistakable fragrance of pohe that signals the beginning of the day for hundreds of students.

A shared adda

The food is its own legacy: misal, dosa, sabudana vada, pohe, upma, sandwiches – everyday comforts that bring students back again and again. Poha and upma vanish early, long before most alarms turn off. Celebrities like Mohan Agashe, Nana Patekar, Vibhawari Deshpande, and Mahesh Kale have visited the spot over the years. Today, it is not just students from the Institute of Management Development and Research (IMDR), but those from Fergusson, Gokhale, DES, Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce (BMCC), Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Commerce (MMCC), and other nearby colleges that crowd the eatery, making it a shared adda of the entire campus belt.

“I have been coming here for three years. I love the cold coffee here. It is my go-to place for lunch. The food is delicious,” says Varun Kolambe, a BTech student at DES. His friends nod without hesitation, as if the cold coffee needs no introduction.

A few tables away, the energy is different, louder, more chaotic. “We have been coming here for two years. This is the hangout spot where we always land after bunking lectures,” says Ayush Kulkarni, a JEE aspirant studying at PhysicsWallah. His group is already planning to order the next round of dosas.

Some have turned into loyal regulars within a short span of time. “We found this place four months ago, and now we are here every single day. Pohe in the morning, uttapam for lunch, and kokum sarbat at all times of the day. We love this canteen,” says Lavnya Kamble from MMCC.

‘Perfect start to the day’

But it is not just the young crowd that enjoys the place, old-timers appreciate it just as much. “I have been coming for five years. This is where we relax over tea and pohe, sharing stories before the day starts,” says Namrata Desai, sipping her morning chai. “We have been coming here for 10 years. Pohe, upma, misal, coffee… It is the perfect start to the day with friends,” says Umesh Kumar, a CA who still visits regularly with his group of friends.

After Vivek Khare’s passing, the canteen’s legacy has been continued by his wife, Gauri Khare, who manages it with the same sincerity. “This canteen was my husband’s dream. He wanted to create a safe, hygienic place where students can enjoy healthy food without any worries. More than 1,300 people come in every day,” she says.

Helping to keep that dream alive every single morning is Ravindra Navele, fondly referred to as ‘kaka’. “I have been working here since the start. Kids talk to me and share things. Their parents tell us to take care of them. They always ask, ‘Kay mahntay, kaka? (How are you, kaka?)’ I serve with love from 7 am to 7 pm,” he adds, while serving plates with practiced ease.

What makes this canteen truly special is the people. Students, teachers, staff, old-timers, and newcomers — all come together to form a living, breathing community that fills the space every single day. In a city full of eateries, the IMDR canteen stands as a place where every chatter and burst of laughter echoes a sense of belonging.

(Ruta Patil is an intern with The Indian Express)

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