Muchhad Paanwala

Muchhad Paanwala is located over at Breach Candy, specifically in the Javaharnagar Society area on L H Road. The shop is small, mostly just a counter and some shelves for the ingredients. We spend most of the morning prepping the betel leaves and cleaning the containers for the lime and kattha. It gets very bright on L H Road during the afternoon, and the sun hits the front of the shop directly. We have a small stool in the corner where we sit when there aren't many customers. Breach Candy is always moving, so there is constant traffic noise. Most people who stop by are in a hurry, pulling over their cars for a quick minute. We keep the gulkand in large jars and the various spices in smaller steel bowls. The floor is concrete and we sweep it several times a day because bits of leaf and paper always end up there. It’s a family-run thing, and we’ve seen the neighborhood change a lot over the years around Javaharnagar Society. Some days are slow, especially when it rains hard, but the regulars still show up. We don't use a lot of fancy signs or lights. The wooden counter is worn down from years of use, and we like it that way. It’s just a regular spot for people to get their paan after a meal or while they are out running errands. We keep a small clock on the wall that's always five minutes fast.