Spades

Spades is located up on the floor above the Bata Showroom in Aliganj. It’s at 35-A, Chandra Colony, right in the middle of Lucknow. You have to walk up the stairs past the shoe shop to find us. It’s a bit of an older building, so the steps can be a little steep if you aren’t used to them. Inside, it’s a different world from the busy street outside. Mornings are spent checking the stock and making sure everything looks okay. It isn't a massive place, but we have enough room for people to sit and hang out for a bit. The lighting is a little dim, which helps people relax after being out in the bright sun. We have a small team here. Most of us just live a few blocks away, so we walk to work every day. Big advertisements aren't really our thing. People usually find us because they were already shopping for shoes downstairs or someone told them about the spot. Sometimes the air conditioner makes a weird humming sound, but we’ve gotten used to it over the years. We keep the place running because we like the people who come in. It’s just a regular part of the Aliganj neighborhood. There’s always something to fix or clean, but that’s just the reality of having a brick-and-mortar spot in this city. We just keep our heads down and do the work daily for our regulars.