Bengaluru's first gastropub Monkey Bar will be closing doors on November 24. The gastropub made this announcement with a post on Instagram. However, the notice came with a caveat which said it will be, "A temporary goodbye for Monkey Bar, Indiranagar."
The post read, "After nearly 7 years in the city, Monkey Bar, Bangalore's Indiranagar outlet (part of the Olive group of restaurants), the city’s first and favourite gastropub, will close its iconic green doors on November 24, 2019. It has been decided to suspend the operations of this hugely popular gastropub in Bangalore. The place that gave India the concept of a gastropub, a place where many friends met for the first time, a place where you took your grandmother and your date with equal gusto, a place that celebrated community as much as food and drink and music, a place for all."
It also included a quote from Manu Chandra, chef partner of the gastropub. Manu expressed his concerns over the changing culinary landscape of the city.
"The Bangalore landscape has changed to an extent where it is almost impossible to run a bonafide restaurant and bar business today. As a result the city is seeing and will see the closure of some of its inhabitants favourite homes away from home which will totally change the whole living experience for so many. We are always supportive of the authorities and the interests of everyone in a city and try and work closely with the laws as they exist. Retroactive decision making, post all clearances and investment and effort, is a huge setback and ends up punishing so many legitimate businesses. Rules that ought to have been rationalised years ago, get used as mechanisms for making things impossible to those running their business and that is very wrong. Monkey Bar became a Bangalore cult brand, a story that spread across the country from this city. We will be back, hopefully soon." ~ @manuchandra , Chef Partner Monkey Bar.
The post concluded with details about the last day, "So, drop in for a drink and celebrate the good times soon. Nov 24, 2019 will be the last day of business for now for Monkey Bar, Indiranagar, Bangalore." But the picture seemed to have reinforced hope among patrons with the sign off, "Bengaluru, we'll be back."