Known for their punctuality, traditional white outfits, and Gandhi caps, the iconic dabbawallas of Mumbai, who used to ferry almost two lakh tiffin boxes every day before the pandemic, are all set to start a central kitchen to keep themselves afloat during COVID times.
Ritesh Shantaram Andre, Spokesperson of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charity Trust, told News18, “The work for opening the central kitchen is in full swing, and we are looking to open next month. This will be our attempt at diversifying, and moving forward we will not only deliver food but also take orders and prepare them. We have a set menu in place.”
Andre said that they took up this initiative to support their own during such difficult times. “Many of the dabbawalas have been pushed to drive taxis, rickshaws or become a coolie, because there is so much uncertainty around our jobs, so with the remaining individuals who are yet to find alternative jobs, we have decided to start the central kitchen, to help them make money,” said Andre.
From trains to bicycles
Mumbai Dabbawalas are known for their resilience. They have stood strong and did not shut down their services post terror attacks and horrifying floods in the city. However, another quality they have is their adaptability, especially when the times are adverse.
“In the 1990s, we used to deliver dabbas only from homes to our customers, but in 2003 when there was restaurant boom, we found there are several mess houses and restaurants that can use our services. So, we tied up with them and came up with a subscription model. Therefore, in COVID times, too, we are trying our best to adapt to the changing market so that all our dabbawalas can have employment. We have recently tied up with Impresario Handmade Restaurants, which owns popular Mumbai restaurants like Social, Smoke House Deli and Salt Water Café and are delivering their food parcels.”
“We have a few dabbawalas stationed out the Impresario group’s restaurants. As orders flow in, Dabbawalas take the prepared food parcels and deliver them to addresses within a five km radius of the restaurants. We have also received a crash course on delivery protocols from the Impresario group,” said Andre.
Mayank Bhatt, the Business Head of Impresario, told News18, “Dabbawalas are the backbone of the city, and we wanted to revive them and bring them back to the fold. Currently, dabbawalas are working at our three hotspots, Lower Parel, Bandra West and BKC, and very soon, we will start two more. The first preference for delivery is given to Dabbawalas, and if they are unavailable or out for delivery, we use third-party apps like Dunzo to deliver our food. ”
“There is a fixed payment arrangement with the Dabbawalas, and they also receive a variable, which comes with every delivery. Some Dabbawalas have bicycles, few have scooters, so they are delivering food parcels in different ways, but they are staying true to the dabbawalla tradition and being punctual,” added Bhatt.
The Pandemic struggles
The dabbawalas experienced severe financial struggles for the first six months of the pandemic with no income, and many decided to return to their native villages in Maval area of Pune, Junnar, Ambegaon, Rajgurunagar, Haveli, Mulshi, and other parts of Maharashtra. However, things started looking up as the lockdown re-opened in October and local trains restarted.
In an interview to News18 in October, Ullas S Muke, the President of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charity Trust had said, “Most of the people ordering dabbas now are frontline workers and government employees who are back in their offices, and we consider it our great privilege that we can deliver food to them, especially since doctors, nurses and so many others are doing such valuable services for our country.”
At the time, almost 500 dabbawalas had returned to Mumbai to resume operations. However, they received a lukewarm response from their customers. Many buildings had banned delivery persons, and with the majority of their clientele working from home, they did not get the business they expected.
However, that didn’t discourage them, and they continued to persevere and help Mumbaikars. There were reports that Mumbai dabbawalas tied up with farmers from different villages in Maharashtra and would deliver fresh produce. They introduced COVID protocols and restarted their work. They continued to do what they have been doing since 1955, which is delivering dabbas to customers. But they also took over the responsibility of delivering food to patients in hospitals and those self-quarantining at home. They feed the relatives of COVID patients who were hospitalised, and despite their own financial woes, they gave free meals to the needy.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.
