German celeb to inaugurate spruced-up German Bakery?

After spending Rs 2 cr on rebuilding bakery and making it an 8,000 sq ft affair, new management says all that it needs now is PMC licence to cook on premises and a high-profile German for the opening in May

After spending Rs 2 cr on rebuilding bakery and making it an 8,000 sq ft affair, new management says all that it needs now is PMC licence to cook on premises and a high-profile German for the opening in May

The reopening of the German Bakery has seen many postponements since its destruction in a bomb blast on February 13 last year. With a new management taking charge and investing Rs 2 crore in its renovation, the sprawling, 8,000 sq ft bakery is slated to finally open its doors to the public in May. And what better way than to invite a German celebrity to do the honours?


All set to open its doors: The new-look German Bakery

According to Vijay Shewale, who along with his business partner has taken over the running of the popular joint, the bakery will be inaugurated by a high-profile German .


After renovation; Vijay Shewale and his partner Rajan Udane.
Pics/Jignesh Mistry

Shewale said now they were only waiting for permission to cook on the premises to come through from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in order to open the bakery. If the permission is not delayed, the management of the bakery is hopeful that it will start functioning in a month.

"We have taken great pains to rebuild the bakery. It holds an emotional attachment for thousands in the city. Most of the work is complete and we are awaiting the permission to cook in the premises from the PMC," Shewale said. "In case the licence gets delayed, then we will be unable to reopen the bakery till September."
New delicacies

The new-look bakery will reserve 1,200 sq ft of its area for preparing delicacies. But will the spruced up bakery still retain its old-world charm? Shewale's partner Rajan Udane said, "Earlier the cooking for the bakery was done at ABC Farms in Koregaon Park. But we want to prepare the confectionary items at the bakery, retain some old items from the original menu and add some new stuff as well."

Shewale added that the bakery would have seven additional flats with an area of 1,200 sq ft each.
"With a mezzanine floor, the bakery shall have a total space of 8,000 sq ft.u00a0 We are spending a total of Rs 2 crore on infrastructure and the interior work is in progress," he said. "The new management is also offering to double the salary of the old workers if they are willing to continue at the bakery."

Hi-tech security
After the blast that killed 17 people, the new management will not ignore security measures at the bakery. "Adequate security staff will be employed and we will have a high-tech CCTV," Shewale said. But there still remains the problem of illegal encroachment around the bakery.

"We have requested the civic chiefto look into the encroachment. We have shown him the court order and are expecting action soon. This shall also enable us to give enough space for parking to our customers," Shewale said. Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Zagade, before leaving for his training at Mussoorie, had made the assurance that there would be no delay in granting cooking permission to the bakery.

Plans for opening
The new management of German Bakery says it will be inaugurated by a high-profile German. Vijay Shewale said they were mulling over the idea of inviting delegates from Germany or from the German consulate. "Our endeavour is to give a new look and feel to the bakery," he said.