Bad news, Mumbai: Cafe Mondegar may be shutting down soon

Just last month, the fort restaurant Cafe Samovar shut shop following a long court battle with the founding trustees of Jehangir Art Galley. But wait, the bad news doesn’t get over with just that. Colaba’s flagship Cafe Mondegar, colloquially known as Mondy’s, maybe facing a closure soon. [caption id=“attachment_2202326” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Cafe Mondegar’s interiors. Image from their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cafemondegar[/caption] The cafe, among 23 tenants of Metro House, was issued a lease termination letter by Mumbai Port Trust late last year on grounds of violation of lease norms, reports Hindustan Times. The other establishments in the building are unaware of the court order. A representative of Café Mondegar spoke to HT, saying, “We have not been served with any notice and hence, we have nothing to do with this issue. Whatever the issue is, (it) exists between the landlord of the Colaba Metro House, who apparently owns Metro Shoes, and the MbPT.” The eviction notice that was served to them on November 19, 2014, was extended till Sunday, 19 April. According to this Indian Express report, the notice says that the cafe has flouted most pre-decided terms of the lease, including illegal subletting, unauthorised constructions in the mezzanine floors, unpaid rent, service tax and interest. Mondegar also owes  Rs 76,16,537 to the owners on compensation charges. Mumbai Port Trust chairman Ravi Parmar told the Indian Express, “Its not about iconic places, it is about violating norms. MbPT had once even issued an eviction notice to the Taj Mahal Hotel in 2012 after its 99-year lease expired in 2001-02,” adding, “We have served a notice terminating the lease of Metro House. After the notice period expires on April 19, we will start eviction procedure.” The iconic cafe was started by Iranians in 1871 and was refurbished and turned into a bar in the 90s. Cartoonist Mario Miranda’s murals are painted all over the walls and their jukebox playlist is loved by many. The owner of the cafe, Hoshang Yazdegardi hasn’t responded to any press calls.