‘We will never expand’
Partner-owner Lajju Bhatia tells us why his bar will always remain the same
Getting a table or even entry into Toto’s Garage on a weekend isn’t easy. The bar, which is packed seven days a week, has proved everyone who believes pubs have a limited lifespan wrong. For two decades, in his signature dark shades, partner– owner Lajju Bhatia has been keeping an eye on the revelry, night after night.
“A guy came here recently and told me he had his firstever beer at Toto’s. He said that night he went back home and got slapped by his dad for drinking. Today, he comes here with his dad,” laughs Bhatia. “Twenty years ago, it (the pub business) seemed like a risky proposition. There were no pubs in Bandra. Pali Naka was different.”
The grungy garage décor, which was created by film art director Bijon Das Gupta, has stayed the same. “We had sofas near the bar earlier, but then we replaced them with chairs and tables to make more space,” Bhatia recalls. Prices are among the few things that have changed. “A pitcher of beer used to cost R100, now it is R700. Our deadline then was midnight. Last orders were called at 11.30 pm,” Bhatia says.
Ask him the one question that all of Mumbai has been asking and he responds instantly. “We don’t want to expand,” he says. “Yes, Toto’s is a business and brings in money, but I run it because I’m passionate about it. I know the regulars and I like enjoying a drink or two with faces I recognise. Now, imagine Toto’s being twice its size. It just may be half empty on weekends, which won’t make me happy at all.”