Lucknow locals upset as iconic coffee house remains shut amid concern for social spaces
The Hindu contacted the official Lucknow number of the coffee house, where the person who didn’t reveal the identity informed that staff issues is responsible for temporary shutdown and it will be opened soon
Residents of Lucknow are expressing concern over the prolonged closure of the iconic Indian Coffee House in Hazratganj, a popular shopping and business hub. The closure has left locals, like Vinayak Singh, who used to visit the coffee house daily in the 1990s, in distress. Singh has to spend over ₹1,500 each time he goes out to buy coffee and snacks, as the alternative, Cafe Coffee Day, charges seven times more.
The coffee house, which has been a social space for various professionals, including journalists, academics, and politicians, has been temporarily shut down, causing distress among residents who have fond memories of the place. Sharat Pradhan, a veteran political analyst, recalls that the coffee house was a space where people from all walks of life gathered to discuss public issues.
The Indian Coffee House, run by the Indian Coffee Workers Co-operative Society limited, is facing staff issues, according to the official. The temporary closure may be linked to poor planning, and the coffee house could potentially be opened soon with minimal cost. However, some political commentators fear that the prime location of the coffee house could be a factor behind its non-operation, as there might be vested interests behind permanently closing the space to allow high-priced restaurants to operate freely.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
