New look, new feel, same iconic foods at Hotel Indu Deluxe, Niloufer cafe and Blue Sea

Rohit Reddy with his father Venugopal Reddy Cherukku inside the newly constructed Hotel Indu Deluxe | Photo Credit: Sanjay Borra

Some of Hyderabad-based iconic restaurants such as Hotel Indu Deluxe in Saifabad, Niloufer Cafe in Himayathnagar and Blue Sea in Abids revisited their space with a ‘go big or go home’ policy post the pandemic-induced lockdown. Given that the second generation has taken over these places, did they feel the need to revisit the menus of iconic family-run eateries to change the decor?

Rohit Reddy, who took over the 30-year-old Indu Deluxe from his father Venugopal Reddy Cherukku, says he knew it was the food that attracted diners and hence decided to retain the old menu. Rohit says, “When my father asked me to take charge, my first thought was a makeover. That change was needed not to bring in customers, but to make the staff happy and surprise our loyal customers. I never felt the need to work the menus again; The menu is one of the reasons our restaurant is so loved.” The consistency in taste is because 80% of the restaurant’s kitchen staff are as old as the restaurant (they’ve been a part of the restaurant since its inception),Rohit shares.

Hassan Ethamadnia outside the newly opened Blue Sea at Gunfoundry | Photo Credit: Sanjay Borra

While expanding and reinventing a brand, consistency in taste should be key, says Hasan Athemadania of Blue Sea, an Irani cafe in Secunderabad that is famous for its flavours. Chai, Dilkhush, Poori Sabzi And puff. “Hotel Alpha in Secunderabad is also our family business. My father Mohammad Jalal Athemadania wanted to present the experience of Alpha and Blue Sea together at a new address.” So Hasan opened a larger Blue Sea in Abids and included a family dining section on the first floor of the new building which included a menu which contained most of Alpha’s signature dishes. Hasan says, “My father always wanted to expand the blue ocean. After his demise, it took me two years to start planning and complete it.

Hassan purposely kept the menus of both the Blue Sea and Hotel Alpha intact. He says, “It is not at all possible for everyone to visit Hotel Alpha or Blue Sea, mainly because of its location near the congested Secunderabad Railway Station and Regimental Bazaar. The new Abids Address takes care of those issues. I will not change the menu because the brand name and the menu go hand in hand. The Blue Sea is synonymous with tea and Hotel Alfa Biryani.“At Abids, Hasan finds all kinds of diners, from office workers to shoppers to tourists, exactly what his father wanted.

Shashank Anumula with father Anumula Baburao inside Niloufer Cafe | Photo Credit: Varun Kumar Mukhiya

When it comes to Tea One does not forget to mention Niloufer Cafe in Lakdikapul in Hyderabad. When it came time to expand the cafe brand founded by Anumula Baburao in 1978, Baburao wanted his son Shashank Anumula to take over. “I did whatever I could, now is the time for the younger generation to cater to the crowd they belong to. When my son talked about the extension, he told me ‘I want to make drinking tea like coffee in a cafe.’

Shashank says, “When I planned to give Niloufer a makeover, it was not because I was ashamed of the original look. In 1978, it was in trend and fulfilling the needs of its loyalists. At our Narayanguda Cafe, our best sellers are Teabiscuits, and roti maska., but since we wanted to offer our diners a completely different experience, we added a menu that complements our tea. menu features Sabudana Vada, Vada Pav And Masala Kulcha Sandwich Joe Govel with our brand.

Cafe Niloufer is opening a 4200 sq ft tea cafe in the arrival waiting area of ​​Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and also plans to open outlets at the arrival and departure terminals.