The temporary closure of Lucknow’s iconic Indian Coffee House has left hundreds of locals in distress, including Vinayak Singh, who has fond memories of the vibrant place where people from all walks of life spent time. Mr. Singh, a 42-year-old government employee, is upset that he has had to spend over ₹1,500 each time he meets friends in the area, as the coffee house remains shut.
The Indian Coffee House, located at the main intersection of Hazratganj, has been a social hub for decades, where journalists, academicians, students, politicians, and other professionals meet as equals to freely talk, share ideas, and debate public issues. Veteran political analyst Sharat Pradhan, who visited the place for the first time in the early 1970s, recalls that even socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia used to visit the place in the 1950s. Mr. Pradhan fondly remembers that a cup of tea used to cost 50 paise, while coffee was a bit costlier, and pakora or fritters of many kinds were also served.
The coffee house is run by the Indian Coffee Workers Co-operative Society Limited. When contacted, an official at the coffee house informed that staff issues are responsible for the temporary shutdown and that it will be opened soon. However, Ram Dutt Tripathi, a political commentator, believes that the closure may be linked to poor planning, and that the coffee house could be run with minimum cost by ordering certain items from nearby eateries.
Mr. Singh fears that the prime location of the place could also be a factor behind the non-operation, as people with ulterior motives want the space to be permanently closed so other high-priced restaurants could operate freely. He notes that every nearby eatery costs over five times what was offered at the coffee house, and that the closure may be linked to vested interests.
The closure of the Indian Coffee House has highlighted the broader problem of lack of social space in Lucknow, where ordinary people can gather to talk, read the news, and debate political and social issues. As the city waits for the coffee house to reopen, locals like Mr. Singh can only hope that it will soon regain its status as a vibrant social hub.
