The India Coffee House (ICH) serves much more than food & coffee.  It is one of the few success results that has ever been churned out of the socialistic cauldron. In West Bengal, they are even more iconic as a literary hotspot with all of the Bengali greats you know –right from Tagore – having groomed themselves here.

Found at over 400 locations across India this Indian chain makes it to the list for the many uniqueities about them

1.      It is managed & run by employee societies -  a model not as easily & successfully  - replicated elsewhere in the world.  This is the story of  - management decided to close – but employees persuaded and took over the management forming societies – a typical  inspiring management casestudy with a fairy tale journey.

2.      All employees are only keralites & a major male bastion in most places. Typical of any Keralite, the waiters quickly befriend you; if you are a regular, you are at home.

3.       They have preserved the old world charm with single hearted dedication & passion:  servers immaculately dressed in white–some sporting the iconic fanned turbans &  a wide green or red belt on their waists. The cutlery  are predominantly porcelain – a rarity at their price point -while the furniture are the wood & white nylon wire netted pieces of yesteryears.

4.      Nothing changes much - even if the outlet is in  far away Assam or when it is  a NTPC canteen in UP..

The ICH may not be a chiq & high end or a popular with family restaurant. But you will never be disappointed with the food or the service or prices. When you are far away at a new place in India, just the ICH sign gives you a lot of relief.

They deserve an applause for their unity & for  passionately preserving a typical Indian- more specifically Keralite  culture.