Metal detectors, baggage checks, and dosas: Post blast, Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe back on its feet

Rameshwaram Cafe on ITPL Road

Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe on ITPL Road was cordoned off, on March 1, swarming with police, with unfinished plates of food strewn around, seemingly in panic.

When I visited the joint eight days later on a Saturday morning, I witnessed a heartening sight of the popular cafe shaking off the horror of the past week and resuming business.

The cafe reopened at 6.20 am on March 9, and when I reached an hour later, the breakfast crowd had already begun trickling in. Two metal detectors were placed in front of the cafe – a security addition post the blast. Once I passed through those, a security guard used his hand-held metal detector to scan my body like in airports, Metro stations, and shopping malls. He also ran a check of the contents of my cross-body sling bag.

Also Read: Rava idli, timer, bus: Inside the IED operation at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram cafe

When I walked in, I noticed small groups of friends and some others who’d arrived with family members taking selfies and videos of the cafe. Food delivery workers patiently waited in a corner, awaiting their turn. "We received more online orders today," said one of the staff members.

The spacious cafe had people sitting cross-legged on the floor.  Among them were friends Nikhil Sharma and Pushpendra Kadwa. “We have been planning a visit for a long time. Finally, we made it here today. With the security measures in place, we do feel safe.”

Some customers were seen placing orders through kiosks. "The younger, tech-savvy crowd prefer to order through the kiosk and pay via UPI. The slightly older generation order at the counter,” a staff member said.

Mohammed Rezvi, a regular at the cafe brought his family along for breakfast on the morning of the re-opening. “The crowd is sparse as of now but I’m sure it’ll pick up. We are regulars here and are happy with how they’ve dealt with the incident and the new safety measures.”

Also Read: Rameshwaram Cafe's Brookefield outlet reopens after blast

On Friday, March 8, Rameshwaram Cafe co-founders and husband-wife duo Raghavendra Rao and Divya Rao – were at the outlet for a formal re-opening function.

They greeted guests with folded hands and exchanged hugs. Priests chanted mantras, live music was played, and guests – mostly friends, relatives, and invitees of the founders filled the packed hall and tucked into dosas. Divya and Raghavendra wore smiles and fought back tears as media personnel surrounded them with cameras and questions. They were in Hyderabad when the blast took place. The incident hasn’t dampened their spirits and that of their 1,500-strong staff unit who remain on high alert, they said.

Set up in 2021, Rameshwaram Cafe – named after the birthplace of former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam – has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, footfall, and revenue within a short period. The restaurant chain known for its liberal use of clarified butter (ghee) as well as its eye-popping sales numbers, features among the must-visit destinations of every traveler making a pit-stop in the city. It’s a mid-morning destination for some, a late-night hang-out spot (they’re open from 6.30 am to 1.30 am) for many, and is often frequented by celebrities.

"It was not a fool-proof act but rather a foolish act. We should not give unnecessary importance or publicize such cowardly acts,” Rajendra NP, a consultant who visited the cafe on Saturday morning for breakfast said, “I'm not regular. I came here to offer moral support, a gesture so that they know they aren’t alone.

As customers chatted over ghee-soaked idlis and piping hot glasses of coffee, a sudden, sharp, vibrational sound of metal was heard and the cafe fell into silence. Turned out it was an innocent steel plate falling off a table with dramatic effect. People exchanged knowing smiles and returned to digging into their plates.

Also Read: Did Rameshwaram Cafe blast aim to undermine Brand Bengaluru?