The innovative idea, a brainchild of 46-year-old Surendra Thakur vada pav and cold drinks vendor at Gokhale Road, Dadar (W), took shape on Gudi Padwa last year.
"I bought a new Maruti (Cargo) van on the occasion of Gudi Padwa. I realised the importance of a mobile workplace. It looks good, without hampering pedestrian traffic," says Thakur who started his vada pav business in 1987 with a stall called Thakur Snacks, right below his building at Gokhale Road.
Thakur opens shop everyday at 3.30 pm with customers making a bee-line for vada pavs, samosas, pav bhaji and cold drinks stacked on racks in the van’s dickey. The snacks are made by his wife Arti at home, are served with tangy chutney, onions and crunchies. Rajesh Tendolkar, a regular at the ’store’ notes, "The vada and panha are delicious. The best thing about the food you get here is that it’s home-made. It is certainly better than with the road-side vada pav vendor and hotels because it’s hygienic."
And at Rs 7 for a vada pav and a glass of panha at Rs 10 this meal-on-wheels is as cheap as it can get. It’s a simple demand-supply process that keeps his business ticking. Thakur claims, "My business has increased by 25 per cent over the last one year," as he sets to working on his new business strategy.
