: A Punekar’s Ode to the Man Behind the Iconic Vaishali Restaurant #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational In 2007, a friend of mine suggested we meet for breakfast. I was fairly new in town at the time, and lived

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A Punekar’s Ode to the Man Behind the Iconic Vaishali Restaurant #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational
In 2007, a friend of mine suggested we meet for breakfast. I was fairly new in town at the time, and lived around 25 km away from the place he had suggested – Vaishali.
This was the era of 2G internet, with no Olas and Ubers where I could feed in the location without having to worry about the directions. I asked my friend to give me a landmark or any other details to guide the auto wala, but he insisted, “Just say you need to go to Vaishali, and he’ll drop you. Everyone in Pune knows the place. �
And so I hired an autorickshaw, doubtfully giving the name to the driver. Without further questions, and 45 minutes later, I was standing outside what I now know is the city’s most iconic restaurant. This eatery, which is always brimming with a bustling crowd, has become one of my favourite places to dine in the city.
Over the last 14 years, I’ve come to be known as a loyal customer, and the forever-busy staff always pause to give a friendly nod whenever I visit the place. So imagine my disappointment in realising that I had no clue about the humble beginnings of this landmark until the demise of its founder, Jagannath Shetty.
Roopali on FC Road
On December 19 this year, the 89-year-old breathed his last at Prayag Hospital in Deccan, after a prolonged age-related illness. The man who gave the city what is arguably its most loved restaurant, began his journey when he was only 13 years old.
Building a food empire
Jagannath was born on 8 October 1932 in Bailur in Karnataka’s Udupi district. “When he was 13 years old, he left Bailur with his uncle Shridhar, and arrived in Mumbai. Here, he worked under his uncle for a salary of Rs 3 per month,� says Ganesh Shetty, Jagannath’s brother-in-law, in conversation with The Better India.
In 1949, the duo moved to Pune and opened two restaurants, Madras Cafe and Cafe Madras, both located on Fergusson College (FC) road.
“Jagannath was 17 years old and worked almost 19 hours a day. However, the sudden death of his uncle due to an accident put the responsibility of running the business on him,� he says. Sometime later, he married his uncle’s daughter Shakuntala.
Jagannath toiled for 20 years to shape Vaishali and Roopali, another one of his restaurants, into the iconic names we know today. “Cafe Madras was re-coined Vaishali, while Madras Cafe became Roopali. Apart from the name, he renovated the restaurants to give them a fresh, modern look. From a simple South Indian food place, these became restaurants with welcoming interiors,� he says.
Apart from the conventional table-chair indoor settings, Jagannath also gave both restaurants a quaint backyard full of greenery, for which customers sometimes wait up to 30-45 minutes.

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