It was with a certain gratefulness and a slightly heavy heart that the batches of 2018 and earlier took their midnight strolls this semester. They were grateful that they could have once walked into SAC for a crisp Mysore Masala Dosa or a mouth-watering Dahi Puri. However, the experience of waiting impatiently at the small window at FoodKing for their order to be called out on the speaker would no longer be possible. The ex-president, Satyansh Rai, confirmed in an email the populace’s fears of FoodKing (FK)’s making way for a couple of new outlets. However, the memories of the many birthday parties, farewells, and first dates that happened over FK’s ghee roasts, veg/egg/chicken rice and iced teas overshadows its final breaths.

FoodKing was established by Mr. Babu, an aspiring entrepreneur. Being an alumnus of BITS, Babu was given financial assistance from the institute for his venture. With the aim of increasing employment in Pilani, and of serving food that he had grown up eating, Babu opened his first branch of FoodKing in a part of the newly constructed SAC set aside for a restaurant. This branch would go on to serve customers for over ten years and introduce several new items, including non-vegetarian options, over its lifetime.

To understand the reasons for FK’s demise, the English Press Club spoke to the General Secretary, Abishek Balaji. As time went by, there was a steady regression in the quality of food and service at FK. Towards the end, many items listed on FK’s menus were unavailable. The owner also grew lackadaisical and unresponsive. The contract between FK and the institute was set to expire by the end of the last semester, and FK gave the institute very little reassurance that they could continue a profitable partnership. FK was late on rent for the month of April, which was to be its final month as a food joint in BITS Pilani. The contract was not renewed, and so FK and the institute parted ways.

It has been confirmed that two new outlets are coming up in the place of the late FoodKing. The first is Mr. Idli, an international chain of outlets best known for their authentic pure-veg South Indian food. Originating out of Mysore, Karnataka, Mr. Idli is also expected to offer North Indian, Chinese, European, and Tandoor dishes. The second, The Talk of the Town, is a Jaipur-based restaurant chain with a range of non-vegetarian food on offer. Along with the ice-cream parlour, -301F in the vicinity, there will soon be a tiny food court of sorts, with a variety of food that may satisfy more than FoodKing ever did. Yet for some, walking through those halls of SAC will bring back poignant memories of what once was.