Nellai Cool Bar

Nellai Cool Bar is our little spot in Ayanavaram at the corner of 6th Street. We are right there on Soma Sundaram Street, and it gets pretty lively around here. Most of our day is spent around the fridge and the counters. In a place like Chennai, people are always looking for something cold to drink, especially when the sun is out. We don't have fancy furniture or a big lounge area. It’s mostly just people stopping for a quick minute before they head back into the traffic. The sound of the fridge motor is the background music of our lives. We keep the sodas, juices, and snacks ready. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to worry about the ice melting, which is always a headache. We know the neighbors well, from the school kids to the office guys. It’s a simple setup at number 2/3. We start early to get everything chilled by the time the first customer arrives. The street outside is usually full of bikes and pedestrians. It’s a lot of standing on your feet and dealing with small change. We don't use any fancy marketing; people just see the sign and come in because they are thirsty. It’s a practical business. We focus on keeping the drinks cold and getting people their stuff quickly so they can get on with their day. We just try to keep things clean and keep the fridge full. That is all we really do here, day after day.