Pune Teen Revives Lost Restaurant, Feeds 400 Daily

A hungry teenager stood outside his favorite Pune restaurant, confused to find it shuttered without warning. Sangram Deshmukh had been coming to Appa's modest eatery in Deccan Gymkhana since childhood, drawn by the moody owner's legendary sabudana khichadi and cucumber raita.

The restaurant stayed closed. Days turned to weeks, and Deshmukh realized the place that had fed him through his growing years was gone forever.

But instead of moving on, he decided to do something extraordinary.

Though he'd just finished his postgraduate studies and was working in marketing, Deshmukh couldn't shake the loss. He realized his true passion wasn't in an office. It was in the kitchen, preserving the flavors that had meant so much to him and countless other Pune residents.

He started from scratch, working at his uncle's restaurant to learn the basics. He washed dishes, took orders, managed inventory, and studied pricing. Then he moved to a century-old Maharashtrian restaurant serving 600 customers daily, soaking up every detail of running a traditional kitchen.

Then came the real challenge. Deshmukh began hunting down the original staff from Appa's closed restaurant. One by one, he tracked them down and convinced them to join his mission to revive the beloved eatery.

He opened a tiny 350-square-foot space in Shaniwar Peth with just four tables. His mother joined him. The original cook and several staff members came back. Long-time customers started showing up, some amazed that "Appa had reopened," others discovering it for the first time.

Today, Appa has three locations across Pune. The sabudana khichadi remains the star, cooked so perfectly that each tapioca pearl stays separate. Deshmukh admits he can't replicate the cucumber raita at home, but in the restaurant kitchen, it comes out perfect every time.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Between 300 and 400 people visit Appa daily for authentic Maharashtrian food. The numbers jump on Sundays, but nothing compares to Mahashivratri, the Hindu festival when fasting devotees seek out the restaurant's signature dish.

On that auspicious day, the kitchen stocks 500 kilograms of sabudana and 300 kilograms of cucumbers. Lines stretch out the door as Pune residents queue for what's now called "Appa chi khichadi," a dish that's become synonymous with the city's food culture.

The eccentric original owner who alternated between warmth and scolding may be gone, but his legacy lives through a devoted customer who refused to let it die. Deshmukh even patented the name to protect what he'd resurrected.

"Today, people call me Appa," says Deshmukh with a smile, carrying forward a tradition that might have vanished if one hungry teenager hadn't cared enough to bring it back.

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