WHY HE FAILED IN RUNNING A CANTEEN?

My friend is an efficient cook. He is maintaining a good catering team. Nowadays he is quite busy and I could not meet him as I am his regular visitor to contact him on one occasion or the other. The reason for his non-availability being a New Canteen. Yes…a new venture for his capacity.

For a hard, good, and efficient worker like my friend, running a canteen is a game of 1,2,3. I thought definitely it is here lies his luck and would definitely come out with a handful of money in his pocket. But, the thing happened otherwise.

 

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I have observed that the rates of items in his canteen are cheaper than in regular Hotels in and around my colony. He gives a plate of Idly for Rs.30 (5 Nos), Poori for Rs.30 (5 Nos), Vada for Rs.30 (4 Nos), Dosa for Rs.30/- with many varieties as per customers choice.

I could not gauge the reason for the loss he is incurring. He was running in loss. No customer was appearing in his Canteen. Today when I reached his Canteen for my food I noticed on the way a Vendor selling Tiffin items on the pavement and was unable to serve the items to his customers in spite of having engaging two Assistants. I routinely stopped for a while and inquired about the rates. The pavement vendor was giving a plate of Idly (4 Nos) for Rs.10/-, Poor for Rs.10/-, Dosa for Rs.10/- and whatever the item you chose the price will be only Rs.10/- only.

The only problem with the pavement Vendor is that a customer has to stand and eat on one side of the pavement. Of course, the dirt and unhygienic conditions are always there as it is most common in India and we never bother about them and most of the bees and mosquitos on the dirt had to leave that place as we are their  most dreadful competitors and can adjust to any kind of condition whether it is dirt or shit.

They were all eating their food with immense pleasure as it is only a DHARMASALA opened for them. The bees were biting them. The mosquitos were sitting on the stuff they were eating for relaxation after coming out of the dirt. Do all these matters an Indian customer? No….never..we threaten them. We drive them out…we are their competitors to eat more dirt than they.

There were some pedestrians who were spitting on the road and the customer unmindful of this was reaching for his item running over the spit. Is it the poverty that is making an India to prefer such stuff or is it the cost of living that is compelling him to go for these Pavement and Road Side canteen. Why are they not afraid of diseases and why are not they afraid of being ill-affected by such surroundings? I could not understand the reason for this. The only reason for the closure of my friend’s Canteen is definitely this Pavement Vendor only.

 

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I moved a little bit further and saw a Mobile Van. There was some rush. I thought it for some hot sales. But, realized that it was a Mobile Restaurant,  of course, not a palace on wheels but, surely it is for an economically poor and middle-class people.

The mobile was on one side of the road and a person was selling the Token and at another side, there was a person who was handing over the items collecting the tokens.

This was also a Competitor for my friend who reached to a conclusion to close down his Canteen realizing that he would be allowed to make something good out of his hard work and efficiency as long as the two competitors are there beside him and he expressed the same before me.

INDIA IS DEVELOPING at a great pace in all fields liberally releasing grants and aids to the poorer section and other economically backward people only to survive AND satisfy with what they can get best on the road side but not the best they needed in a sophisticated and hygienic surroundings. Everybody is busy with his own earning unmindful of anything.

Living and leading a happy life with good and sound health in a hygienic atmosphere are never the ideals their education had taught them as most of them are habituated to fight for a day’s survival than for expecting a dream of such life in their future.

Eating out means eating on the side of a pavement for an Indian and it is not even on the roadside canteen.

When I expressed my view to my friend he said ‘No’ for the reasons. They I immediately drew his attention to a car. The driver stopped. Two people were sitting inside. The Driver hurriedly went inside the Pavement Restaurant and returned with a hefty parcel in his hands and handed over the stuff to the rear side passengers. There was no reply from my friend and was busy closing the shutter for the day.

THIS IS WHAT EVERBODY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INDIAN ECONOMY