Increasing fast food culture force closure of old hotels

Sipping morning coffee in ‘Welcome’ hotel at Gandhinagar turned as a habit for majority of the office going crowd from Satyanarayanapuram, Gandhinagar and other areas of Vijayawada city in the past. Now they are deprived of such hotels which stood as a land mark in the city for several decades. For many old timers of the city it is difficult to digest that all the old hotels have closed down for one reason or the other.

Recollecting the old memories of famous hotels in the city a resident of Gandinagar Satyanarayana said that sipping coffee in ‘Welcome’ hotel or Modern cafe and having lunch at Eskimo hotel turned as a prestigious habit in the past. Taj Mahal hotel in Gandhinagar also attracted crowds for several decades.

He said that the New India hotel centre is noted for political meetings and the centre turned a land mark for making important political decisions as all political parties prefer to organise a public meeting at New India hotel centre. The tea at New India hotel is familiar for several decades.

Now ninety percent of the old hotels vanished and still the centres are familiar with the names of the hotels like New India hotel centre in Gandhinagar. Coming to Governorpet Ajanta hotel, Durga bhavan, Brindavan hotel are noted for several decades and the Natraj hotel gained importance as a star hotel. All these hotels used to provide the choicest food with each hotel famous for one dish or other.

A septuagenarian resident of Suryaraopet , Prasada Rao expressed concern over lack of such hotels in the city. He said with the mushrooming fast food culture there is no place to leisurely have a meal. He said that majority of the old hotels have vanished except one or two. He said that Modern café in Beasant road is a lone hotel still running.

He said that it is difficult to find a hotel except some AC hotels, right from one town to Benz company, to visit with family members and have a meal leisurely. He said that Biryani centres are mushrooming and one can find a Biryani centre everywhere and not a place to eat food. The fast food centres are increasing and people too are visiting these fast food centres with no alternative.