# Your food is being prepared…

**Source**: https://ge.iitm.ac.in/rendezvous/your-food-is-being-prepared/
**Parent**: https://ge.iitm.ac.in/rendezvous/page/2/

Whether
it’s a
snack or
multiple
orders
from
different
eateries,
the
Isthara
Food
Court at
the
Himalaya
Student’s
Mess has
cut down
the
waiting
time of
orders
for
those
who are
in a
rush and
may have
skipped
their
meal

**Hathim
Syed
Mohamed**

As the
clock
strikes
6pm,
signalling
the end
of what
was a
rigorous
class,
Kritika
Nautiyal’s
mind
shifts
from
academic
pursuits
to her
rumbling
tummy.
Instead
of
surrendering
to the
usual
eatery
on her
way back
to the
hostel,
Kritika
logs
onto the
Isthara
app. A
few taps
later,
her
order is
placed.
She gets
a
notification
that the
estimated
time is
30
minutes,
just
enough
for
Kritika
to
indulge
in a
much-needed
nap.

After a
brief
interval,
Kritika
now
walks
into the
Isthara
Food
Court, a
co-living
brand
that
specialises
in smart
food
court,
at the
Himalaya
Student’s
Mess in
the
hostel
zone of
IIT-M,
to
collect
her
piping
hot chai
from
Chai
Waale,
and a
plate of
samosas
from
Chaat
Corner.
She
takes a
seat at
the
nearest
table
and,
along
with
many
others,
enjoys
the ICC
World
Cup
Qualifiers’
match
between
Netherlands
and
Zimbabwe
projected
on the
screen.

“All
other
places
on
campus
get
crowded
a bit so
I prefer
coming
to
Isthara
because
it’s
quiet
and
peaceful.
Here, we
can sit
and not
worry
about
anything
– even
about
the
monkeys,”
says
Kritika,
a second
year
student
from the
Humanities
and
Social
Sciences
department.

Located
on the
ground
floor of
the
Himalaya
Mess,
the
Isthara
Food
Court
was
launched
in 2021.
It has a
wide
variety
of
delectable
choices
across
the
seven
eateries
it hosts
— Chai
Waale
(for tea
and
snacks),
Cool Biz
(juices
and
milkshakes),
Chaat
Corner
(savoury
snacks),
Vineyard
(baked
and
fried
snacks),
Deli
Pizzeria
(fast
food),
Waah
Hyderabadi
(biryani,
bread
and
gravies),
and
Hotel
Ananda
(vegetarian
main
course).

Ever
since
its
launch,
the food
court
and its
app have
been
serving
the
purpose
of
cutting
down the
waiting
time for
those
who hate
standing
in the
queue,
waiting
endlessly
to
collect
the
food.
Upon
entering
the food
court,
customers
can
conveniently
place
their
orders
at the
designated
payment
counter,
where an
operative
guides
them
through
the
process
using
the
user-friendly
Isthara
app.

Whether
it’s a
single
food
item or
multiple
orders
from
different
eateries
at the
food
court,
the
customer
receives
a
customised
QR code
— one
for each
stall in
their
order.
This
vouches
for a
smooth
and
streamlined
experience,
ensuring
that
each
stall is
promptly
notified
of the
new
order
and can
begin
with the
food
preparation.

Once the
order is
placed,
the
delivery
team
springs
into
action.
The
Isthara
app has
the
option
of
delivering
food
anywhere
within
the
campus,
be it a
student
waiting
for the
breakfast
they
might
have
missed
in the
morning
or
faculty
members
grabbing
a quick
lunch.
While
this
seems to
be the
app’s
intention,
some
students
feel
that
ordering
food in
person
is much
easier
since
the app
can be a
pain
sometimes;
the
payment
portal
can be
an
endless
wait,
say
students.
“I only
use the
food
court to
have tea
or
juice.
That too
when it
is not
rush
hour.
Generally,
it takes
me six
minutes
to cycle
from the
department
to
Himalaya
and
three
more
minutes
to pay
and
collect
my tea.
Who
wants to
wait for
twenty
minutes
for a
tea?”
says
Sherwin
Rodriguez,
who is
an
alumnus
and is
currently
a
teaching
assistant.

Although
the QR
method
is quick
and
efficient,
it
forces
you to
think of
everything
that you
want to
eat
before
proceeding
with the
order.
In case
you
crave a
cold
coke in
the
middle
of the
meal,
you
don’t
have the
luxury
to pay
₹20 to
get a
bottle.
Instead
you have
to go
stand in
the
queue!

Apart
from
sales
people
from
each
shop,
the food
court is
driven
by the
efforts
of
Isthara’s
22
employees.
Right
from
housekeeping,
payments
to
delivery,
every
member
plays a
key role
in
ensuring
a
seamless
dining
experience
at the
400-seater
mess.
The
housekeepers
are
prompt,
and the
food
court is
clean
and
hygienic.

Beware
of cats
and
other
pet
animals,
if you
are
visiting
Isthara.
There is
a ₹1000
fine for
anyone
caught
feeding
animals
inside
the food
court,
unless a
monkey
snatches
the food
from
you.

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