80-year-old Kanta Prasad, popularly known as Baba from ‘Baba Ka Dhaba’ food stall, has shut down his restaurant and is now back to running his food stall. However, he says that he is happy to do so.
Last year, everyone witnessed how a humble 80-year-old Kanta Prasad of ‘Baba Ka Dhaba’ made a fresh beginning after people from all over Delhi came out in huge number to provided help and support to the octogenarian roadside shanty owner. Few months later, he started his own restaurant in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, where he served Indian and Chinese cuisines.
Recently, when word of him quitting his restaurant and returning to his old roadside eatery in Delhi started circulating, numerous media outlets reported that Kanta Prasad had lost all his money on the endeavour and was back to square one.
However, when OpIndia got in touch with Kanta Prasad, he confirmed that he still has a significant sum of money raised by the public intact with him. He claims that he was able to get over his over financial woes due to the help and support he received from the people of Delhi.
He further adds that it is because of the love and support of the public and the financial help that came through, he has been able to build a house for himself and is being able to run his roadside eatery successfully.
“My financial condition is still very stable. The money I received from the public is safe with me. More than my children, I am aware that the donation I got would safeguard my future. I have kept it safely, remarked Kanta Prasad.
Putting to rest rumours that his new business shut due to the lack of funds, Prasad said that he shut it not because he was out of funds but because the per-day cost he was incurring to run that restaurant was far more than what that venture was paying back to him.
“My operating expenses were Rs 1 lakh per month, and I was getting back not more than Rs 1000/1500 per day. So I decided to shut it”, said Kanta Prasad furthering that he has come back to operate his old roadside eatery because he likes to work, not because he is out of funds, as many media houses have claimed.
When asked about the adverse impact the Covid lockdown has had on his business, he said that because of the immense love and support of the public, his dhaba is doing very well. Despite the covid restrictions being in place, he said he has been getting regular customers at his dhaba and there are no financial problems he is facing as such.
Baba Ka Dhaba gained internet popularity last year after a food vlogger Gaurav Wasan posted a video where he was seen crying over financial woes amid lockdown that was imposed to curb Chinese coronavirus. After his video went viral, support and love poured in from all over Delhi and people flocked his little ‘dhaba’ where he served ‘matar paneer’ and rotis.
