Long before supermarkets, food delivery apps and online shopping, Madras' streets had their own dependable delivery network. It came on wheels, announced its arrival with a cheerful bell, and never failed to attract a crowd of eager children.
During my school days, one such favourite was BBB – Bangalore Brahmin Bakery. It was a household name in Madras. Founded in Bangalore by Thirumalachar in 1898, BBB had become immensely popular in our city as well.
Its bakery products were neatly displayed on trays inside a specially designed tricycle vending cart. But as schoolboys, we admired not only the delicious cakes, buns and biscuits—we were equally fascinated by the lettering on the front of the cart. It proudly displayed one giant 'B', followed by the rest of the words painted in smaller letters: angalore, rahmin, akery, un, read and iscuit. We would happily read it aloud as "B-angalore, B-rahmin, B-akery, B-un, B-read and B-iscuit!" Whoever designed that signboard certainly knew how to catch a child's attention.
The bakery cart's bell was music to our ears. Homework could wait. The bakery cart couldn't!
A few years later, another familiar bell became equally irresistible—that of the Rita Ice Cream pushcart.
Those who grew up in Chennai during the 1960s and 1970s will surely remember Rita Ice Cream—a brand that brought much joy! Long before fancy ice cream parlours and home delivery became fashionable, Rita had already mastered the art of doorstep service.
Its main production unit was near the Sanskrit College in Mylapore, but its real branches were the streets of Chennai. Every afternoon, the pushcart would roll into the neighbourhood carrying irresistible treasures like the 10-paise milk ice and the 25-paise choco bar in sticks. To children, its bell sounded sweeter than the school bell announcing the last period.
My daughter, Latha, was one of Rita's most loyal customers. As a little girl, she simply adored Rita Ice Cream. Buying one was not an occasional luxury—it was almost part of her daily routine.
The pushcart was operated by a differently abled but exceptionally smart salesman. He knew his customers as well as a family doctor knew his patients. More importantly, he knew Latha's school timings better than she did!
Every afternoon he would arrive only after she had returned from school. There was no point coming early—his best customer wouldn't be home. It was almost as if he had synchronized his watch with the school bell.
Today, companies spend crores on market surveys, customer analytics and artificial intelligence to understand consumer behaviour. Our Rita ice cream man achieved the same result decades ago with nothing more than a pushcart, a pleasant smile and a remarkable memory.
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