Mumbai's first restaurant-on-wheels opens today at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus

Mumbai’s first restaurant-on-wheels is set to be thrown open to the public today, 18 October, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus (CSMT). The train coach-turned restaurant which will accommodate 40 diners, is located at platform number 18, near the Heritage Gully at the CSMT. The restaurant’s location will have sufficient parking space as well as easy connectivity to the suburbs. According to news reports, the eatery will be a fine-dining place with both non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. The menu is expected to be restrictive due to the small kitchen space inside the coach. A mini-café apart from the restaurant and a separate takeaway window for juices will also be set up. Once the eatery opens up, people will have to option to order items from food delivery apps and online platforms as well. The restaurant is said to have a theme of the landmarks of the city along with the rail-theme. The authorities will also try to collaborate with Mumbai Darshan tours after the restaurant is fully functional. According to Free Press Journal, the restaurant is said to be a precursor to other such venues across the city. A senior Central Railway official told the media outlet that there are proposals for restaurant-on-wheels in areas such as Kalyan, Kurla LTT, and Thane. The Western Railway is also in favour of introducing such eateries at the stations of Bandra Terminus, Borivali, and even Surat. The Central Railway is expected revenue of Rs 42 lakh per annum from the restaurant –on-wheels. Work on the restaurant on wheels had earlier been delayed due to Cyclone Gulab. For the past week, the train coach is being retrofitted with equipment for the kitchen as well as furniture for the diners. The furniture for the diners has been manufactured on site only. The final touches to the painting of the coach have also been finished, with the blue coating of the coach replaced with mustard yellow with a tinge of brown and black.