Are Mumbai’s Irani cafes fading out of the city?

Mumbai or erstwhile Bombay has long been synonymous with its Irani cafes but these charming establishments which were once the heart and soul of the cityrsquos social fabric now seem to be wilting like summer blooms do during fallWith their distinctive ambience marked by vintage deacutecor checkered tablecloths and an air thick with nostalgia Irani cafes had become an indelible part of the cityAmong one of the few surviving true blue Irani cafes is Kyani amp Co which still boasts of vintage furniture and flooring The owner of the popular heritage establishment Farokh Shokri in a conversation with midday says that he has not changed either the vintage chairs tables or the tiles that lend the cafe a distinct characterSituated near the Art Deco Metro cinema in yet another busy intersection of South Mumbai the Irani cafe was established in 1904 by an Iranian gentleman named Khodram Marezban and the cafe has been run by the Shokri family since 1959Digital storyteller and heritage amp history enthusiast Raunak Ramteke told midday that Irani cafes gave the working class population a place to grab a quick tea and quick snack at an affordable price ldquoThese places were the start of the lsquoCafe Culturersquo in the cityrdquo Ramteke quippedDecline of Irani CafesHowever with time some of these cultural institutions had to face significant difficulties Rapid urbanisation changing dining habits and the financial pressure of preserving heritage places have all contributed to their demiseRising real estate costs in excellent locations have forced the owners of Irani cafeacutes to close leaving a significant hole in the citys culinary and cultural lifeShokri recounted that up until the 1970s there were many Irani cafes and with the Maharashtra government issuing licences for alcohol many became permit rooms or pubsldquoBy the 1980s there were as many as 360 Irani cafes like Kyani amp Co that served chai bun maska and other delicacies At present there are only 25 such establishments in the cityrdquo he addedWhile Raunak added ldquoAlmost all of them are familyrun businesses and for most cafes the newer generations of their families are not willing to take the business forward Because of this theres a slow decline in their services and even their existence as theres hardly anyone to take it forward The other reason for the decline of these places is the competition and the changing needs of the customersrdquoThe changing landscape of Irani CafesSimin Patel the founder and director of Bombaywalla Historical Works said she believes that Irani cafesmdashwhich were the first spaces of interdining in the citymdashwere neighbourhood institutions rather than belonging to a particular community When questioned about what would she attribute to fading Irani cafes she said ldquoWith changing neighbourhoods the patrons of the cafes have changed over timerdquoFarokh Shokri who is currently at the helm of affairs at Kyani amp Co narrated an interesting story on how Irani cafes were started in the cityldquoMany Iranians who had migrated to India during the 1900s would come together in evenings after a hard day of work at Parsi houses make tea and serve among themselves One day these people especially Zoroastrian Iranis decided to start their own establishment At the time India was under British Rule and there were many vacant places availablerdquo Shokri saidHe added that these establishments served tea the classic bun maska buns with a thick layer of butter since bakeries were attached to these establishments they began selling baked goodies like khari Omelette and other delicacies soon joined the listKunal Vijaykar a renowned food writer author and television personality noted ldquoA famous legend says that Hindus thought having shops set up in corners would be bad luck The spaces were available for cheaper rates since there were not many takersrdquoMeanwhile Vijaykar added that gastronomically the Irani cafes popularised baking in India he said ldquoBaking always had a French or Portuguese hue and was not native to India It was the Irani persons through cafes and bakeries that popularised baked goods like biscuits bread buns etcPatel says a recipe for an Irani cafe is in its space which includes photos of your ancestors a marble top checkered cloth and panelling of the walls and furniture like chairs made from Bent WoodldquoThere are cafes in global cities that have tried to recreate a fell of Mumbairsquos Irani cafe at their eateriesrdquo Patel addedShokri when asked about the challenges he faced said ldquoOver the years I have not changed anything Of course I have added more dishes to the menu and brought appliances like a refrigerator Otherwise everything is the same There have been no changes as suchrdquoWhen asked about how changes in patronage have affected the eatery he said ldquoThe market is growing People will come they will taste your food Then go to another shop and taste their food The consumers have a wide range of opinionsrdquoHe added that his business mantra is to focus on serving quality food providing quality service and presenting the eaters with costeffective foodVijaykar noted that it was saddening that the Irani cafes are fading into oblivionHe said ldquoEvery time anything that has historical value shuts down I feel sad since a new generation is being left out of something We are moving so fast but we are forgetting where we come from our history and our roots which are very important for our futurerdquoPreservation effortsCalls for the preservation of heritage buildings and spaces have increased and similar concerted efforts are being made to preserve the treasured culinary heritagemdashthe Irani cafeFarokh Shokri shared that Kyani amp Co is one of the places listed on the Maharashtra governmentrsquos heritage tour He added that the eatery is nestled in a heritage buildingldquoI have been suggesting that the old eateries that are nestled in heritage buildings be given heritage statusrdquo he saidFood writer Jaykar stated that the owners should look into commercialising the space without having changed the ambienceMeanwhile Raunak explained that chains like SodaBottlerOpenerWalla and establishments like Cafe Military Cafe Irani Chai or Jimmy Boy have tried to innovate and make themselves relevant for todays generationHe further stated ldquoOne way the community or the people who love these cafes and cuisines can create more awareness and preserve the culture is by documenting these places organising IraniParsi food festivalsPopups or even small things like taking their familyfriends from other cities to these places when they visit MumbairdquoSimin Patel speaking on the preservation of Irani cafes ldquoIt is for the community and the shop owners who need to figure out how to look at it The government can step in if these cafes are in heritage buildings