Phew! Cafe Mondegar not to shut down as yet

Foodies in Mumbai can breath a sigh of relief! Colaba’s iconic Cafe Mondegar might not be shutting down just as yet. There were reports about Cafe Mondegar facing eviction charges last week, after the cafe and 23 other tenants of Metro House were issued a lease termination letter by Mumbai Port Trust late last year on grounds of violation of lease norms, according to a Hindustan Times report. However, a report in  The Times of India said that the eviction proceeding against the Metro House, that houses Cafe Mondegar, did not begin on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_2205614” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Cafe Mondegar’s interiors. Image Courtesy: Facebook[/caption] The eviction notice that was served to them on November 19, 2014, was extended till Sunday, 19 April. Another Hindustan Times report mentioned that the port trust was planning on initiating legal action, if the tenants failed to vacate the premises by Sunday. An MbPT official told The Times of India, “We will go through the reply and decide our course of action. If the reply is not satisfactory, eviction proceedings will be carried out in court.” The  report added that The Mumbai Port Trust too was unclear about the process to be followed after serving of the notice. An official said, “Legal tenants will not be harmed but only those who are in unauthorized occupation or are violating the lease agreement may have to face the music.” Another official said that it is a long-drawn process as the matter will be decided in court, reported  The Times of India. The cafe cum bar, colloquially known as Mondy’s,  is one of South Mumbai’s iconic eateries, A change.org petition was also signed by some people to save the cafe. For now, we can be glad that the Cafe Mondegar, will continue operating as usual.