Ecosystem

There's this place in Ahmedabad. It's an eating joint. Toran. "Cafe Toran" as I incorrectly keep calling it. I came across this place...

Aside: incidentally what do you call it when you discover a place, but only because you were led to it by someone who already knew it? "I discovered the place"? Too full of yourself. "The place was discovered unto me"? Too Ancient english-ey ... :-/

Anyways - Toran. Chaos in '06 thanks to Bolli, et al. It is a veg place. But it is a brilliant place. As Giddu put it "If you're eating veg, eat this stuff. Or else just go kill an animal". It's infinite food for some 80 bucks. And I mean *infinite*.

The service is awesome. And at the end of your meal, you hear stuff like "Sir kyaa sir.. Aap toh kuchh nahi khaye.. Ek aur roti sar.. Ek aur." And when fat people ask for "Normal rotis" (without ghee), the server gheefully (forgive the bad pun) replies: "Ghee ke bina kya maja aayega?" And proceeds to pour an inordinate amount of fat onto the puny roti.

Fast forward 2008: The place has become freakishly popular. And why shouldn't it? But here's the thing: There's a whole set of shops that thrive off this place.

Whilst waiting to be seated (there is *always* a waiting line), one shop guy sells chai and sutta. Another shopkeeper next to it serves little edibles like chips and sandwiches. Basically, their only reason for selling stuff is Toran.

And you also find autorickshaw drivers parked just outside, waiting for passengers. And what about the big hoardings around the place? What choice do you have but to look at them?

So, the essential point is: There is this whole ecosystem of stuff built around this one successful joint. Seems so cool na?

Or perhaps I'm too much into the "economics" mood these days.. Either way, Toran rocks :)