The Price Paradox
A gastronomic puzzle has emerged from the vibrant streets of Bengaluru, where a local eatery has presented a menu that has left the internet utterly bewildered.
This particular establishment, a well-known spot called Naveen Butter Dosa Camp, famous for its butter dosa and located near Commercial Street, has adopted a pricing model for its idlis that defies conventional logic. Customers can procure a serving of four idlis for an incredibly modest Rs 50. However, the perplexing twist arrives when one attempts to purchase just a single idli, which is then priced at a staggering Rs 100. This means a solitary idli costs the same as two full plates, each containing four idlis, making a total of eight idlis for the price of one. This unusual practice was first brought to light on Reddit, where a user shared a photograph of the restaurant's posters, which humorously seem to discourage the ordering of single idlis through their exorbitant pricing.
Online Theories Emerge
The bizarre pricing at Naveen Butter Dosa Camp quickly became a hot topic of discussion across social media platforms, particularly on Reddit, where users from India and beyond eagerly attempted to unravel the mystery. A flurry of humorous and speculative theories emerged to explain this seemingly counterintuitive pricing. Some users engaged in playful banter, suggesting that the restaurant might be buying four idlis at Rs 50 and then reselling a single one for Rs 25, aiming for a significant profit margin on individual sales. Others humorously pointed out the apparent discrepancy in quantity and price, with one user sarcastically remarking that the Rs 100 idli must be a substantially larger portion, implying they were being made to feel foolish. A more practical, albeit still speculative, theory proposed that the idlis are prepared in batches of four, meaning that if only one is ordered, the remaining three might go cold, thus justifying a higher price to offset potential waste or labor inefficiencies. The idea that selling single idlis at a low price might not be economically viable due to the return on investment was also suggested, implying that the restaurant prioritizes bulk orders to maintain profitability.
Beyond Idlis: Unique Rules
This peculiar idli pricing isn't an isolated incident of restaurants adopting unconventional rules to manage operations or customer behavior. While the Bengaluru idli situation has sparked amusement and debate, similar instances of eateries gaining viral attention for their unique policies have occurred in the past. For example, a restaurant in Kerala previously garnered significant online attention for a distinctive signboard that clearly stated the establishment was "completely non-vegetarian." This indicates a broader trend where food businesses, beyond just pricing, implement specific guidelines or present their offerings in ways that aim to communicate a particular message or manage customer expectations. In the case of Naveen Butter Dosa Camp, the explicit message on their menu, "please no single idly," further solidifies the notion that this pricing strategy is a deliberate attempt to steer customers towards ordering in multiples, perhaps to optimize preparation, minimize waste, or simply to encourage a specific purchasing pattern that benefits their operational model.
