Smokey Munch

Our little shop is number 44 in the LDA Market over in Aliganj. We are right across from the Indian Oil office, so a lot of the workers from there come over for lunch. Smokey Munch is mostly about quick food that you can eat on the go or standing up. We have a couple of small tables, but it's a tight squeeze. The "smokey" part of the name comes from the grill we use. It gets pretty hot in the shop during the summer months, especially with the burners going. We make rolls, burgers, and some fried snacks. My cousin and I opened this because we wanted a job where we could be our own bosses. We aren't professional chefs, we just cook what we like to eat. The market is always loud and there’s always something happening outside. Sometimes we run out of bread rolls by 8 PM because the evening rush was bigger than we expected. We don't have a fancy marketing plan. We just put a chalkboard out front with the specials. It’s a simple life running a food stall in Lucknow. We keep the counters wiped down and the oil fresh. That’s about all there is to it. You might have to wait a few minutes if the tawa is full, but we try to be fast. Most of our regulars just give us a nod and we know what they want. It’s a busy little corner of Lucknow and we are just glad to be a part of the morning and evening routine for the people living around Aliganj.