German Bakery yet to reopen

PUNE: German Bakery was to be restored and inaugurated on February 13 this year - the day of the blast that claimed 17 lives and injured 65 exactly two years ago on this day - but last-minute "technical glitches" have foiled the plans.
Renovation work at the bakery has been on hold for technical reasons for several weeks, said Snehal, eldest daughter of bakery owner Smita Kharose.
"We wanted to reopen it on February 13, but it is not possible. Only 15 to 20 days of work remains to be finished. The rest of the bakery is in place. Besides some technical problems, the contractor has manpower crunch. I am working out ways to move things forward so that we can reopen the bakery as soon as possible, hopefully within a month or two," she said.
In the last two years, over Rs 45 lakh has been spent so far on renovation work on the city's landmark in Koregaon Park.
"More money is required to get the bakery up and running. My mother and I are trying to raise additional finances. We, too, are facing a staff crunch. The last two years haven't been easy because we've never been able to reopen the bakery on the date announced," said Snehal.
The new structure, designed by architect Pramod Purohit, comprises 750 sq ft area on the ground floor that will house the main food counter, while the 1,100 sq ft seating area on the first floor can accommodate 80 to 90 people.
The revamped interiors will have wooden chairs and tables and the ceilings will be adorned with wooden finishing and panelling.
A combination of wood and tile flooring is also part of the design plan.
"I have done my bit of designing the bakery's new layout and now it's the contractor who is doing the job of renovating the place," said Purohit.
The bakery will offer table service and will be have adequate security. "We will be retaining some of our previous Nepalese staff. We will take a call on making changes in the menu six months after the bakery is reopened," said Snehal.
A few months after the blast, the Kharoses were given a compensation of around Rs 14 lakh by the state government. The family was able to get on with the bakery's renovation with an additional amount of over Rs 25 lakh taken as a loan.
Snehal rubbishes any claims of change in the bakery's ownership or management. "There were issues pertaining to the bakery before the blast and these continue even now. I don't think one needs to speculate on that. The bakery remains ours and we will never sell it to anyone. We just hope to reopen it as soon as we can," she said.