Mumbai: Recently hundreds of people braved torrential rains to stand in a long queue patiently outside Udipi Vihar hotel in Goregaon (east). There was a powerful incentive for them to wait for hours to get into the modest hotel.
Legendary Prices Draw Crowds
The management was offering tea at 07 paise a cup, coffee - 10 paise, misal pav - 10 paise, sheera, upma, idli, medu vada, dosa (sada or masala), batata wada, puri bhaji, jalebi and mix pakoda all at 12 paise a plate each and rice plate comprising patal bhaji, tendli chana, rice, dal, 4 puris and fried papad at 50 paise.
A Tribute to Founder Sundar Shetty
The hotel owner Ravi Shetty said these were prices at which his father, the late Sundar Shetty, sold these items when he started the hotel in 1962. Sundar Shetty moved into Mumbai from his hometown Udipi in Karnataka in 1947 and worked his way up in an Udipi hotel.
Redevelopment with a Heart
He had this burning ambition to start his own hotel and the rest, as they say, is history. Udipi Vihar started attracting crowds in droves because of the quality of its items and the reasonable price. Now the hotel is going in for redevelopment and as a tribute to their father Ravi Shetty and his brothers offered the food items at 1962 rates.
Quality, Affordability and Legacy
Customers could believe their eyes when they heard about this offer and rushed to this hotel. With its corner location at a prime road junction, Udipi Vihar was a hit not only with locals but also those coming to the several industrial estates nearby.
Also Watch:
Like in most Udipi hotels, the food was tasty, reasonably priced and the service was uber fast. For a humble beginning, the family went on to open Sai Palace Group which has several hotels under its belt. Interestingly, even when Udipi Vihar is shut, Shetty has made arrangements for "parcel service" to sell its famous items to loyal customers.
