Deepak Nirula: There are certain companies that come to represent a city’s character. One such company is Nirula’s. Years before McDonald’s opened its first location in Delhi, Lakshmi Chand and Madan Gopal Nirula opened Nirula’s in 1934 as a hotel, restaurant, and bar in Connaught Place with 12 rooms.
The brothers later introduced espresso coffee to the nation’s capital with the opening of the Indian Coffee Shop on Janpath in the 1940s.
Deepak Nirula launched ‘Nirula’s’ in 1977
It comes as no surprise that the family led the way in another revolution—the fast-food revolution—in the centre of Delhi three decades later. Nirula’s was founded in 1977 by their sons Lalit and Deepak Nirula. They created a menu that was unheard of in this region of the world, including pizza, footlongs, ice cream, and, of course, hot chocolate fudge. Every Delhiite’s palate, life, and heart have been impacted by the location over the past 50 years of its operation.
An major chapter in the history of Delhi’s cuisine has come to an end with the loss of Deepak Nirula, who managed Nirula’s before the family sold the company, and is credited with bringing an American-style fast-food shop to Delhi. Deepak Nirula passed away on October 4th, leaving behind his huge legacy.
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According to Nirula Corner House’s CEO Amit Chadha, “He oversaw all operations, including the commissary, with a deep interest in all facets of the company. He arrived at the office promptly at 8 a.m. ” Chadha’s family purchased the company in 2012 from Malaysia-based private equity firm Navis Capital Partners, which had acquired it from the Nirulas in 2006.
Prior to starting his own hospitality company, Chadha’s father worked for Nirula’s. According to food historian Pushpesh Pant, Nirula’s democratised city dining. In addition to Connaught Place, the popular Nirula locations were in Chanakya Cinema Complex, Basant Lok market in Vasant Vihar, and Defence Colony.
Gave discounts to school kids based on their grades
According to chef and founder of India Food Tourism Organization Rajiv Goyal, only few food enterprises could match Nirula’s marketing techniques.
Based on their grades, they gave school kids discounts for a long time. Therefore, if you received 80%, you received an 80% discount. Students gathered here to celebrate. Generations of Delhi residents’ upbringing has depended on Nirula’s.
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