Sundari Akka Kadai gets new look, courtesy patrons

Her loyal customers and well-wishers helped her re-open her stall near the swimming pool after it was shut down recently by the Corporation. 

Now, she has a brand-new stainless-steel kiosk and the menu is displayed on a colourful board. She has also introduced a token system where customers must pay first and collect the food after showing the receipt. 

“Though the food is prepared in a hygienic manner, a makeshift space was used to prepare the food and it was served from a rundown kart. The Corporation conducted a beautification drive on the beach and put out a notification that food stalls must be hygienic,” said Paul Pradeep Chris, a regular at Sundari Akka’s kadai. Paul is credited with making the stall famous after he posted her story on Facebook last year. 

“We absolutely love Akka and wanted to help her. We decided to come together and arrange funds for a brand-new kiosk,” said Paul.  Volunteers associated with Café with Care came forward to offer help. The organisation is an NGO that cooks hygienic food for orphanages and old-age homes. 

“Her stall suffered heavy damage during Cyclone Vardah and she was in no position to renovate it. After the Corporation’s action, we decided to partly contribute for a brandnew kiosk,” said Naveen Subramanian, one of the founders of Café with Care. 

S Sundari remarked that she doesn’t understand the business and all she wants to do is cook food. “I have been serving food here for over a decade and I would have never let the kiosk shut down. So, with the help of my customers and well-wishers, I have re-opened the stall, where we serve food in a more hygienic condition,” said 50-year-old Sundari, who has been serving free food every year on November 1 since 2005 to mark the death anniversary of her husband.