Matunga’s iconic Mani’s lunch home faces shutdown situation as landlord asks restaurant owner to vacate place
Matunga’s iconic Mani’s lunch home faces shutdown situation as landlord asks restaurant owner to vacate place
Matunga’s Iconic Mani’s lunch once again falls into trouble. When things looked fine with both the owner and the landlord, now in a new development, the restaurant faces a shutdown situation since the landlord is in ni mood over the restaurant continuing to operate when earlier too the owners were asked ro vacate.
The restaurant is the favourite haunt of not only students of nearby Ruia and Podar colleges, but also cricketers practising at the nets near Matunga gymkhana maidan.
The iconic lunch home was established in 1937, and now after many decades of its operation comes under threat.
The landlords of the Mhaskar building, where the restaurant.is nestled, N.N. Anand and Lalita Gupte have in a letter dated December 29, 2022 had asked the owner Subramani Narayanswamy to vacate the premises by January 31, 2023.
According to K.V. S. Rajamani, who manages the restaurant uncle of K.V.S Narayanswamy, he was shocked when he received this letter.
His grandfather started this restaurant in the pre-independence period and over the past several decades the restaurant has built up a huge reputation by serving quality south Indian snacks and filter coffee at reasonable rates. We have been paying rent
Rajamani added that his 7late brother Narayanswamy had an exceptional personal equation with the landlords.
He hopes that wiser counsel will prevail and if that doesn’t happen, then he will be left with no option but to proceed legally and continue to operate.
The restaurant is the favourite haunt of not only students of nearby Ruia and Podar colleges, but also cricketers practising at the nets near Matunga gymkhana maidan.
The who’s who of Mumbai cricket used to make a beeline to Mani’s after net practice and relish the excellent idlis, medu wadas, dosas etc.,
As per K Sheshadri, a regular patron, amid the struggle for independence, several freedom fighters used to flock to this small restaurant on their way back from protest rallies. Earlier, the landlords had objected to snacks and coffee being served in cars parked in front of their building. The restaurant management stopped the practice long back. Sources reveal the the building, which is at a prime location, may go in for redevelopment like several old buildings in the neighbourhood. The management started a meals hotel a few years ago in a building near the Matunga post office. However, that establishment was shifted to Chembur since that building too was taken up for redevelopment. The hotel owner was a sub-tenant and hence not entitled to alternate accommodation.
Meanwhile, Subhash Ghatge, the restaurant management’s advocate, he will suitably reply to the landlords’ letter on behalf of the restaurant management.
News input KV Raman
