Photos: Kolkata’s iconic Indian Coffee House reopens after 103 days
Updated On Jul 04, 2020 11:10 AM IST
After a 103 days of lockdown closure because of the coronavirus outbreak, Kolkata's iconic Indian Coffee House opened its doors to patrons on July 2. At the entrance, a poster reads clearly, "No mask. No entry." Over the decades, the Indian Coffee House became symbolic of the city’s heritage- a meeting place for poets, artistes, literatti and people from the world of art and culture, as well as an affordable haunt for the students of Presidency and Calcutta universities.
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A server wearing a face mask and gloves attends to customers at the Indian Coffee House on College Street in Kolkata on July 2. One of the city’s most loved eateries, the Coffee House had to shut its doors over three months ago because of the coronavirus lockdown imposition in the whole country. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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An overview of the dining room at the Indian Coffee house shows tables laid out at a distance in the establishment, as it reopened to customers on July 2. However, the reopening comprised less than half the seating capacity, sans porcelain cups and dishes and limited items on the menu. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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“We are starting with a limited number of food items and beverages. One may not find the cutlet for now,” said Tapan Kumar Pahari, secretary of the Indian Coffee House. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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A server wearing a face mask and gloves is thermal screened at the Indian Coffee House on July 2. Each customer was being checked by a waiter, donning the usual white uniform and the headgear, with thermal scanners. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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In its revised schedule of operations, the eatery will be open from 11 am to 6 pm every day except for on Sundays. First started by the Coffee Board in 1942 and called Albert Hall, it was rechristened Coffee House in 1947 and was frequented by intellectuals such as author Sunil Gangopadhyay, poet Shakti Chattopadhyay and even American poet Allen Ginsberg during his sojourn to India. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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In 1958, the management decided to shut the eatery, but it was reopened the same year, thanks to the efforts of professors of the then Presidency College, now Presidency University, as well as Calcutta University. The two institutes are located in the vicinity of the eatery. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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Even though there are seating arrangements both on the ground floor and on the first floor, as of now only 25 tables instead of the usual 50 have been arranged on the first floor. The first floor hasn’t been reopened yet. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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Servers wearing face masks and gloves in addition to their white uniforms and turbans, gather at the billing counter of the Indian Coffee House on College Street in Kolkata on July 2. The authorities reopened the eatery after holding talks with the local police station and health department over COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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A server catches a break from the chaos of reopening day on July 2 at the Indian Coffee House in Kolkata. As the gates of the heritage eatery opened at 11 am, around 25 customers, most of them regulars at the eatery, walked in. (Samir Jana / HT Photo)
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