Dânesh Zaki

I had been to Alsa Mall last Sunday and was suprised to see it wear a desolate look. A few years back, it used to be packed with the yuppie and college crowds. Hot Breads - the very first bakery in Chennai that I know that sold pizzas and burgers, was one of the main attractions. In its place stands another bakery that did not have anything to offer except for a few Veg Puffs. I wandered around to see a Cafe Coffee Day outlet that was probably the only shop in the mall that had some people in it. Apart from this, the only other shop that was open was the Titan showroom.

Prince Plaza, another mall near Alsa Mall seems to have been converted into a office complex and its design has been rehauled to remove the capsule lift and center entrance.

I realized that Spencers’ Plaza had taken over the entire city with its vast shopping space. With Landmark, a host of apparels’ outlets (WestSide, Pantaloon) and international food chains (Pizza Hut, SubWay) setting up shop in Spencers’, the fate of the other malls in the city is more or less sealed.