With glowing yellow exteriors with quaint dining set-up, Mumbai’s first restaurant-on-wheels, Bogie Wogie, opened its doors to the public on October 18 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). This is the first Mumbai eating joint to operate 24/7. The restaurant faces the Heritage Gully on one side and platform 18 on the other.
Its contractor, M/s Dinesh Singh Tomar Catering Services, said they have been permitted to keep this restaurant open at all times. They are also planning to keep seating outside the coach to accommodate more patrons.
The caterers have also tied up with App-based food delivery services to enable people to order food any time of the day or night while other restaurants in the city remain closed. The contractor said the prices on the menu won’t change even if someone orders at night.
The contractor said a mini cafe has also been designed for people who prefer takeaways. “We will also deliver inside long distance trains if someone orders through e-catering,” the contractor said. Meanwhile, the 13-page menu card features both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes with a variety of cuisines from North Indian, South Indian, Chinese to Continental. The array is vast despite the size of the kitchen that seems small in size. When the FPJ team visited the restaurant, the food supplies were seen stored under the coach close to the axle, where special storage space has been created.
The contractor confirmed a one-year contract, which is extendable to second year with license fees of Rs 42.56 lakh per annum paid to the Central Railway. Sources said the coach was carried by road all the way from Wadi Bunder at a cost of around Rs 8-10 lakh using special cranes. The CR authorities are thinking of providing space for such restaurants at other locations like Kurla LTT, Thane and Kalyan.
