Utopia for all

All good things come to an end Sometimes for the better Trade View Building at Utopia City on Pandurang Budhkar Marg Worli once part of the consolidated Kamala Mills compound is living this adageIn 2015 it fuelled the hospitality boom as space after space was leasing out to some of the coolest restaurants and bars forming an FampB hub for central and south Mumbai Trade View Building housed top attractions Riyaaz Amlanirsquos Flea Bazaar Cafeacute AD Singhrsquos Lady Baga and Fatty Bao Boo Kimrsquos Dirty Buns Zorawar Kalrarsquos Shanghai High and Anjan Chatterjeersquos POH and Indigo Hospitalityrsquos DohThe going was great until the horrific fire of December 29 2017 that erupted at rooftopbar One Above housed in the nearby Trade Housing Building It killed 14 and injured several That one tragedy was enough to jinx the business for most eateries in Kamala Mills as top restaurateurs struggled to survive Before they had fully recovered the pandemic hit creating a bloodbathBut like with some tragedies gloom can bring with it opportunity Swedish lifestyle giant and leading home furnishing retailer IKEA was looking for a massive space to open its second outlet in South Mumbai after debuting in the city with its Navi Mumbai outpost Traditionally designed to offer everything under one roof IKEA found 80000 square feet under one roof A source on condition of anonymity confirms that the approximate monthly rent could be to the tune of R15 crore IKEArsquos spokesperson chose not to comment on the detail when midday reached out to them The building also houses gaming complex Smaaash Indian fashion and home decor chain Fabindia European fashion brand Jack and Jones we hear is slated to open in the same location within the next four monthsAD Singh and Chirag MaruFor this to see the light of day Trade View Buildingrsquos developer offered an exit to the group of restaurants that were already bleeding Owner of Utopia City and Trade View Building Nikhil Gowani says the original plan was to rent to retail outlets on a longterm basis ldquoWhen we first started in 2015 the city was experiencing an FampB boom so we welcomed the restaurants When we found a better opportunity with IKEA we offered the eateries a hardship fee to vacate We do however plan in future to create a restaurant hub as part of a larger development plan that we hope to undertake in a more organised manner than the last time The idea is to offer an overall experience to visitorsrdquoVeteran restaurateur AD Singh agrees that it wasnrsquot easy here post the fire ldquoBusiness had crashed and we were hurting By the end of last year the offer to exit was floated and we decided to take it up and shutter Fatty Bao and Lady Baga It made senserdquo Singh shares that over the years he has realised that cluster FampB hubs donrsquot spell success ldquoPeople come in with a plan to eat at a particular restaurant They are not usually in a mood to discover a new place We feel mixed usage is much better since visitors then come in for a variety of reasons And here choosing a restaurant becomes a spontaneous decision In future I donrsquot think I will place my brand into a food hub The entry of IKEA is a good thing for the market and the neighbourhoodrdquoZorawar Kalrarsquos Massive Group occupied two spaces heremdashYounion in Kamala Mills which continues to do business and Shanghai High in Trade View ldquoIKEA is a good addition to the overall themerdquo he agrees ldquoIt will attract incidental footfall After the fire restaurants lost a lot of business and during the pandemic coming to a common ground on rentals was a challenge We got a good deal for Younion which is back to seeing positive numbers againrdquoOye Kake is the only restaurant from the original group that preferred to stay within the mill but move out of the building ldquoWhen we opened in 2015 we were the first to arrive at Trade View Other restaurants followed and we became the heart of the mill When IKEA came we decided to stay because we have loyal customers in the vicinityrdquo says Pankaj Gupta of the eatery that offers Amritsari cuisine in the heart of Mumbai It moved to Bombay Hub on the Kamala Mills side in October Two among the restaurants to exit were AD Singhrsquos Lady Baga that used to serve Goainspired food with a contemporary flourish and Anjan Chatterjeersquos POHPriyank Sukhija then seems to be the last man standing One of the highest grossing outlets in the building his lounge Lord of the Drinks hasnrsquot moved out of Trade View yet ldquoWe have the longest bar in Asia Even when the pandemic struck we were not ready to give up on our restaurant We did whatever was needed to save the restaurant and braved the losses With about 6000 visitors expected at IKEA every day even if we were to get five per cent of that as spillover wersquod be rich and not have enough tables to accommodate themrdquo Sukhija tells usKavitha Rao Country Commercial Manager at IKEA India says the brandrsquos market research entailed understanding what life at home in Mumbai is likeA day after the December 29 2017 fire at a Kamala Mills bar a demolition drive was conducted by the BMC pulling down over 300odd illegal structures at FampB establishments at the affected compound and elsewhere in the city PicGetty ImagesThe Worli city store spread across 80000 square feet is small compared to the large format 4 lakh sq feet outpost in Navi Mumbai ldquoWe made it a point to understand the Mumbaikarrsquos dreams challenges even their frustrations This so that we could bring products and solutions from our inventory of 8000 products to address requirements Across the world whenever IKEA pops up the vicinity sees a lot of development We have other retail outlets as well as restaurants for neighbours and our ecosystem aims towards overall growthrdquoKamala and UtopiaLast year Kamala Mills was split into two Kamala Mills on the Lower Parel side which was sold to different buyers and Utopia City on Pandurang Budhkar Marg owned by Nikhil Gowani A wall now divides the two sectionsThe real estate pro saysChirag Maru restaurant real estate expertldquoIKEArsquos entry is a blessing in disguise Restaurants were dying a natural death and when the deal came through they were offered an exit fee asked to remove the furniture assets and part on amicable terms A compensation was offered Then the pandemic struck Restaurants who took this exit offer are in a better position todayrdquo2017The year a fire that killed 14 pulled the brakes on the business of most restaurants and bars in Kamala Mills