New Maduraa Hotel, a family-run restaurant on North Andar Street known for its simple home-style vegetarian menu and a no-frills approach to dining out, is downing shutters after 60 years in business.

The iconic eatery was established in 1966 and became popular over the years for its generous portion sizes of meals that were served to diners on banana leaves on individual wooden tables from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“Maduraa Hotel actually began as a mansion with monthly rental rooms for men. The restaurant on the ground floor was popular among professionals heading to work or on a lunch break in and around the Teppakulam area. Its menu was designed by my father and uncle, and we simply continued with their recipes. Gradually people started seeking us out for the taste of our dishes,” proprietor G. Balasubramanian, 64, told The Hindu.

Patrons of the eatery recalled the unlimited options of food served at the restaurant that made it possible to enjoy a filling meal on a budget.

Each day would feature a poriyal, kootu, sambar, rasam, mor kuzhambu, and pickle utilising an array of fresh produce.

Among its quaint features was a small notice board announcing the menu of the day in mixture of handwriting and print, and the gentle warning that some vegetable options could change after 2 p.m.

“I have fond memories of having lunch at Maduraa Hotel with my friends staying in the rental rooms upstairs. The eatery was able to ensure that the same set menu was cooked to a high standard every day throughout the year despite the fluctuating prices of vegetables and other food items. This was a great marketing achievement in a city full of high quality vegetarian restaurants. Earlier, every dish, including the sweets prepared for auspicious days, used to be unlimited, so we could have them as many times as we wished, provided we did not waste any food. Many of our visiting theatre artistes used to head for the restaurant when in Tiruchi,” said N. Sekar, secretary, Rasika Ranjana Sabha.

Mr. Balasubramanian said the restaurant was closing down due to the advanced years of the family members and a shortage of labour. “The mansion will continue to function, and repairs are being carried out on some of the rooms. We are happy to have served the public for so long,” he said.