Coffee and cacophony: Kolkata's College Street secret brewing for ages
Can someone actually climb a corporate ladder and reach the top starting from a modest background? Only through hardwork? I was wondering as I have come across such stories in Dale Carnegie’s books. Are these mere stories?
No, it’s possible, said Zaheed Hussain. “When I started, I used to wash plates. Then I became a cook, and now I am managing the cash counter,” Zaheed said. Zaheed is an employee of the Indian Coffee House, College Street, Kolkata. His father joined the coffee house in 1953. In 1976, Zaheed joined as a washer boy.
“This is the rule. Whoever joins here joins as a plate washer. Later they can choose their role. There is no gradation of work. We all get equal salaries. And apart from sweeping and floor cleaning, everyone has to do every kind of work,” said Zaheed.
But waiters get tips! So, they can earn more?
“No,” said Zaheed.
“At the end of the day, each and everyone deposits the tips at a single place and divide equally. Remember, it is run by a co-operative, so none enjoys any privilege over another.”
There are 300-odd seats in two floors.
Crowd starts pouring in around afternoon. You will rarely find any seat empty here. Waiters climbing up and down to serve the customers round the clock and various groups of people looking for a place to park themselves present a usual picture.
At one point of a time, the Coffee Board was unwilling to run it. But that never stopped the brewing. A co-operative was formed. With coffee and snacks, it became quite a hotbed for the intellectual brewing of the city.
Poets, writers, politicians, who are otherwise celebrities, visit the Coffee House like commoners. Charminar (cigarette brand), politics and debate — the three love of Bengalis — got blended with coffee.
“Did anyone from the Coffee House ever engage in politics?” I asked Zaheed.
“No, we never engage ourselves in anything except our duties. We never participated in any conversation. All of the top Bengali intellectuals used to visit this place. Many of them have passed away. I have seen both Jyoti Basu and Buddhadeb Bhattacharya (chief ministers of West Bengal) here.”
And Manna Dey?
He is the singer who immortalised the iconic Coffee House in his song “Coffee Houser se addata aaj aar nei, kothay hariye gelo sonali bikelgulo sei” (The Coffee House adda (meet-ups) have stopped/ we have lost those golden evenings).
Zaheed Said, “I had seen him twice in this place. We welcomed him and offered snacks. He just accepted one cup of coffee and a sandwich.”
Yes, the adda is no more.
You can’t sit for hours with just a cup of coffee.
Smoking is officially prohibited. But many who believe that an intellectual debate remains half-baked without smoke flout the rules.
Once, the Coffee House was about to be closed. At that time, people who loved the place used to come at night to buy all the unsold cutlets. Those troubled times are now history.
Talking about history, the Albert Hall was established in 1876. Later in 1942, the Coffee House came to existence.
After Independence, the name of the Albert Hall was erased.
The Coffee Board discontinued operations here in 1953.
In 1958, the loss-making Coffee House was closed.
The students of the University of Calcutta and then Presidency College (situated just opposite side of the road) took the initiative to bring it back to life.
Then Chief Minister of West Bengal Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy and educationist Prof Nirmal Chandra Chunder (His son Dr Pratap Chandra Chunder was the education minister in Morarjee Deshai’s Cabinet) took steps to reopen it.
Muni Lal, Chuni Lal, Ramu Babu, Naik Babu, Md Sakib were some of the members of the co-operative, waiter Mantu said.
Zaheed is Sakib’s son.
Bihar-born Zaheed is now a permanent resident of West Bengal. He has some interesting stories of the Naxal Movement. During that unsettling period, the Coffee House came under attack only once. It had to close its doors for a few days. Another occasion when it was shut was a strike called by Mamata Banerjee, then Opposition leader.
Otherwise, it is always open. Seven days a week.
Coffee, pakora and sandwich have been on the menu since inception. Chicken sandwich made a late entry. For a brief period, they used to serve idly and dosa as well. But then cutlet came and remained forever. Chowmein and roll are also available.
Like Manna Dey said in his song, the Coffee House remains the ever-blooming garden. Only the gardeners change.
The tables never fall silent.
The coffee cups are never empty.
Also read: Why Searching for Saraswati matters