Deepak Nirula rests, his legacy will not

(Representational image)

Deepak Nirula, son of Madan Gopal Nirula, who made the brand ‘Nirula’s’ famous across north India, passed away at the age of 70. He leaves behind a legacy that will live on in iconic offerings at Nirula’s including its hot chocolate fudge, ice creams, sundaes, burgers, and pizzas.

Within a generation, the Nirula brothers' hotel and restaurant business -- that began as a 12-room hotel in Connaught Place in 1934 -- evolved into the capital's first homegrown fast food franchise and was later led by the late Deepak Nirula.

Nirula's traces its roots back to 1934, and it was the second-generation pioneers of the family that introduced India to non-traditional recipes, reshaping the brand to become Delhi's first fast-food restaurant in 1977.

Social media and messaging groups were abuzz on Wednesday with the news of Deepak Nirula's demise, as people expressed sadness at the passing of a man whose invention touched their lives.

Even though the family sold the brand name to Navis Capital Partners in 2006, memories of earlier days remain fresh for food lovers. An iconic treat of the late 1970s was Nirula's 'softy', a soft serve ice cream created by the Mohan family, which produces Old Monk rum. Having just graduated from college, Mohan found the American-style cafe setting, serving ice creams and mutton chops, but without seating, to be too innovative. This was Delhiites' first introduction to cafe culture, and it remains one of their fondest leisure memories, a Times of India report stated.