Mumbai: Now, the other Mani’s Lunch Home in Matunga is also under threat!

Mani’s Lunch Home on the ground floor of Mhaskar building in Matunga, near Ruia College

Mani's Lunch Home, an 85-year-old landmark restaurant and a favourite hangout for college students next to Ruia College in Matunga East, is facing the threat of possible closure. Owners of the restaurant, which is located on the ground floor of Mhaskar building on Lakshmi Narayan Road in Matunga, have sought legal counsel after receiving a letter from the building's landlord asking them to vacate the premises by January 31. Another outlet of the eatery had to shift to Chembur earlier for similar reasons.

The management of the eatery got the notice on November 29. K V S Rajamani, who manages the restaurant, said, "We received a notice last week. This place is 85 years old and we have been paying rent regularly. We do not want to vacate the premises, so we have sought legal opinion. We will soon send a reply to the landlord's notice."

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For many, who have been regulars, Mani's represents a slice of the city's history. Established in 1937 by V S Mani, the popularity of Mani's lunch home has just increased with each year. K A Vishwanathan, a Matunga resident and family friend of the owners, said, "I have known Mani's family for ages and would visit this restaurant regularly. All of them are well mannered and soft spoken.

All food items they serve are tasty and of good quality, and they have maintained the standard for years. The negative thing is that the space is a little small for the number of students and other patrons, many of whom stand and eat." "Those running the restaurant should fight it out in the court. They should not give up like they did with the other outlet they had next to Shri Shankara Mattham in Matunga," he said.

1937
Year when the lunch home was established

(Inputs from Vinod Kumar Menon)