Calling themselves “Bewakoof”, or Hindi for “fool”, the eateries in the bustling mining town of Giridih offer rice, mutton and vegetarian dishes for less than half a dollar each, and business is booming.
“The name does not mean we literally fool around with customers as they come here for quality food at much lower prices than other restaurants in the region,” said Nand Kishore Prasad, the owner of “Bewakoof Number 1.
The chain includes Maha Bewakoof, or Biggest Fool, Shri Bewakoof or Mr Fool and International Bewakoof.
To attract business initially, the owners of the Bewakoof eateries heavily discounted diners’ bills as a gimmick, but then continued to do so after they were flooded with customers.
The restaurants now make a brisk profit due to the large number of people they serve every day.
“The owner actually behaved like a fool when he returned the hefty amount against a bill and kept the small change,” chuckled Pankaj Kumar as he tucked into his favourite mutton dish.
“The word that owners are fools has spread far and wide and people are filling up the joints and their stomachs.”
The concept has proved so popular that several other eateries in Jharkhand state, where Giridih town is located, claim a “Bewakoof” tag.