April 12, 2007

Geographic Boundaries

Have you noticed how Mumbai will have a Madras Cafe and a Chennai will have a Bangalore Bakery and Kolkatta will have a Dilli Chaat.

I am sure I saw a Taj Mahal in Amsterdam and a Ganesha Pub as well!

Even within a city, eg. Adyar Anand Bhavan would probably have branches in Anna Nagar and T Nagar.

As an individual you wear your origin with pride( at leats you should)
I suppose that helps even when it comes to shops.

We try to recreate pockets of familiarity wherever we go. Nostalgia seems to be the common thread running across. And if it makes business sense all the better!

What do you think?

13 comments:

Itchingtowrite said...

i guess they brand the city/ state in this manner. you'llalso notice how the ambience within will be created to ensure u feel u r in madras in a madras cafe etc.. with all the music and the flowers and the attire. same for chinese restuarants and other ethnic restaurants in any part of the world

Coffee said...

Very true...... Anand bhavan has two branches in Singapore as well... Or many be three!!!!

There is a nice chic place called bombay cafe as well!!!!! All bolywood stuff with pics!!!! And hindi movie song playing all thru the day on their plasma sets!!!

Artnavy said...

coffeee- will u be in SPore in early May?

Hip Grandma said...

we have udipi hotel in washingtonDC or was it Baltimore?well I admit to feeling more gomfortable in USA after seeing the familiar name.But then by my own admission I am a living fossil.

Hip Grandma said...

Hugs to anush.She looks very cute.

Coffee said...

Yes my dear..... :) I am here ever since 3.5 yrs and no plans of moving ou from here by this may..... or may 2015 as well :)

Are you coming to sing???? Let me know.... will give you my handphone number then :)It would be great talking to you :)

By Deepa and Supriya said...

There must be a TAJsomething in every American city...I guess that is the ultimate symbol of Indianism and in that sense it makes perfect business sense...but if I where a restuarant then I am not a walking Indian symbol ..I mean the clothes, shoes etc...so in that sense I don't know about nostalgia and familiarity..I have stepped out of mine :)

Anonymous said...

thats the way u fake sensations to the nostalgia neurons.. there hasnt been a single place that has brought back the real experience.
anushka looks different and cute in the pic..

Life Lover said...

very good observation and I agree with you, its the familiarity aspect that makes us open dilli chaat in kolkatta ;)

Alan said...

I think I saw a Starbucks in Seattle today.

Lavs said...

This is nothing but a marketing strategy/gimmick to increase sales. We walked into saravana bhavan off serangoon road in Spore and it definitely did not remind us about chennai/india except for some tamil songs blaring out of the radio.ofcourse, one cannot generalise but then that's my view!hee hee

mommyof2 said...

I agree with lavs.. Its all marketing strategy..

I found you post on anonyomous & left instruction about comment moderation:-)

Smi said...

Simply put,I feel it's about making people from those places, feel at home, when they are away.
And for those not from those places, it's to give them a taste of "famous things" they've always heard about those places. A win-win situation?