Vizag’s century-old bakery continues to be the crowd favourite in the city

Many of the stores and eateries, in the old town area, have some history as well as a loyal customer base. No matter where people have settled in the city, they still come back to their favourite store. The Yo! Vizag team visited the SNM Bakery, Vizag, which is still as popular as it was decades ago.

In spite of a hiatus of nearly ten years, the SNM Bakery is still one amongst the favourite haunts of many old-time Vizagites; especially those who frequent the One-Town area, Vizag. The beginning of the store dates to the 1940’s when the current owner’s great-grandfather, Shri Kapuganti Perraya set up the ‘Sree Nalla Maaramma Bakery’. Even back then, baked goodies like cakes, biscuits, and cookies used to be very popular. The bakery would also serve freshly home-baked goodies, which made it quite popular amongst the customers. Twenty-five years later, with the unfortunate demise of the great-grandfather and grandfather, the successful enterprise downed its shutters for a while.

“It was in 1989, that my father, Seetharam Gupta decided to revive the business. By then, there were many bakeries in the locality. Hence we considered adding home-made traditional sweets and provisions, thinking that it would fetch us more. Since then, the bakery cum sweet-shop has been running successfully under his supervision. The addition of sweets and provisions has worked out and it is doing really well without losing its charm,” reveals Praveen Kumar, who has completed his B Tech and currently helps his father run the store. For many customers, that is the most endearing aspect of the store; the fact that it is a one-stop shop for a variety of items. Though it deals mainly with baked treats, sweets, savouries, papads, and pickles, there is also a counter that supplies general departmental provisions. Most of the items alluringly placed on the shelves are home-made goodies.

But the most popular item which attracts regular customers are the fruit juices. “Our home-made grape juice is very famous here. We make seasonal fruit juices which makes this place stand out. We have custard apple during winters and succulent palm fruit juice in the summers. The fruits are peeled and mixed with sugar and glucose, which is then made into a delicious and popular thirst-quencher. “We also sell at very reasonable prices when compared to the other outlets,” explains Praveen.

Catering to 800-1000 customers on an average day, it is during the festive season that the shoppers increase considerably. “This place is surrounded by temples, so on festive occasions, the crowds swell and accordingly so do our sales.” They also have many loyal customers who come for their sweets, masala powders, and savouries which are packed in bulk to send to their loved ones abroad. Their home-made kaaram podi and papads are very famous as well.

Regarding expansion plans in the future, he says that eventually, they plan to open a branch in Seethammadhara. “Almost since 1940, the shop has been running from the same premises, with no branches or additional outlets. But the future might see us near the Gurudwara

Hoping to see the store grow and expand, we can only wish that it will still retain the old-world charm which makes the SNM bakery in Vizag so special.

We have many loyal customers who get sweets, masala powders, and savouries packed in bulk to send to their loved ones abroad.