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Filter coffee is an emotion in Tamil Nadu. Though there are hundreds of filter coffee ventures out there, nothing beats the Annapoorna Filter Coffee. But this now famed franchise wasn’t always on top, it came from humble beginnings. Their restaurant story began in 1960, when The Naidu brothers began a petty shop in front of a movie theatre in Coimbatore. But what was the secret ingredient that made it to what it is today? Believe it or not, it was just filter coffee which began their rise to fame and the holder of the title “Pride of Coimbatore”.
It is said that till date Annapoorna makes its own coffee and follows the traditional way of collecting, roasting and preparing it. Venkatesh ‘Iyya’ (a term used for showing respect in Tamil) has been their coffee roaster since the day Annapoorna began. The coffee seeds are sourced from Chikmagalur and every seed holds its coffee oil, which gives filter coffee its distinctive taste. This oil is essential for the seed to roast properly to get the exact same taste every time and who better than Venkatesh Iyya to understand and work on it.
Mr. K . Damodarasamy Naidu (one of the Naidu brothers) was a trendsetter in the hotel industry in Tamil Nadu. He began a formal dine in concept with uniforms for staff and combo ideas which were new to those days. Their success drew the attention of Sir Paul Vincent – who was known to be the pioneer of cinema in South India – and he requested the Naidu brothers to open a second shop in front of his theatre in Coimbatore. This new outlet really took off and their keerai vada (green leaf pakoda) and their filter coffee began ruling Coimbatore.
Image Credits: https://www.sreeannapoorna.com/
In 1968, they opened a restaurant named after goddess Annapoorni, and from there the true restaurant journey began. Today, there are 16 branches in Coimbatore city and 8 branches all over Tamil Nadu. On Sundays there is a queue, and why not, they are excelling in everything. Be it the coffee, tiffin items, sweets, savouries and food as a whole, Sree Annapoorna Gowrishankar has never seen itself in the second position. They have been ruling as the number one restaurant for the longest time. In business, there are nearly 1500 employees working under Sree Annapoorna Gowrishankar Pvt Ltd and their venture even includes pickles, ready-to-eat items and different masalas.
The people of Coimbatore are emotionally attached to Annapoorna. This place has settled in the hearts of its customers in a way that no other venture has been able to match. Coimbatore will always be on the list of pioneers of the hotel industry because of Annapoorna.
Next time, you visit Coimbatore, Visit Sree Annapoorna Gowrishankar and tell us how you felt about it!
