Our Journey
Through the Years
The Foundation
Brothers Ganappaiah and Parameshwara Maiya leave their village of Parampalli in Udupi, working as cooks to support their family. In 1924, Ganappaiah proposes they start their own hotel, and together they found the Brahmins' Coffee Club on Lalbagh Fort Road.
Birth of MTR
Parameshwara Maiya passes away in 1933. Their brother Yagnanarayana Maiya, working as a cook in Hyderabad, is called to Bangalore to help. Together with Ganappaiah, he transforms the business. The hotel is renamed from Brahmins' Coffee Club to Mavalli Tiffin Rooms.
Ingenuity in Adversity
During the Second World War, rice supplies dwindle under British wartime policies, and MTR can no longer make its staple rice idli. Yagnanarayana Maiya experiments with semolina and sour curd, inventing the now-legendary Rave Idli — a stroke of genius born from scarcity.
A New Vision
In 1952, Yagnanarayana Maiya voyages to London by ship with journalist friend Jeevan Rao. Inspired by European hotel standards, he introduces the sterilisation of utensils and an entire range of new sweets. In 1959, MTR moves to its current Art Deco building on Lalbagh Road, featuring a pioneering walk-through open kitchen.
A New Mantle
Yagnanarayana Maiya passes away in 1968. His nephew Harishchandra Maiya swiftly assumes leadership, soon joined by Yagnanarayana's son Sadananda Maiya, marking joint stewardship by the second generation.
Innovation in Crisis
In 1976, a government Food Price Control Order forces MTR to shut down. Determined to support his staff, Harishchandra Maiya opens the MTR Departmental Store, which becomes a platform for packaged foods — beginning with the iconic Rave Idli premix.
The Thali & Next Generation
In 1998, Harishchandra Maiya introduces the celebrated MTR Thali — 25 dishes for just Rs. 50. Tragically, he passes away on 20th October 1999. The very next day, his daughter Hema Maiya steps in, becoming the first woman in the family to lead MTR. Her siblings Vikram, Arvind and Priya Maiya join her in the years that follow.
Expansion
Under the third generation — Hema, Vikram, Arvind and Priya Maiya — MTR embarks on its first expansion in 2004, opening in Rajajinagar. New branches follow across Bengaluru, Karnataka and international markets.
Signature Delicacies
Click on the dishes to discover their history
Rave Idli
Steamed semolina cakes leavened with sour curd, studded with cashew nuts, curry leaves and mustard seeds.
Masala Dose
A golden, ghee-roasted crepe of rice batter and black lentils, stuffed with spiced potatoes and served piping hot.
Chandrahara
A crispy, twice-folded pastry sealed with a bud of clove and deep-fried to golden perfection. Served with a sweet, thick khova rabdi.
Fruit Mixture
A medley of fresh seasonal fruits folded into chilled badam milk and crowned with scoops of our in-house ice cream.
Filter Coffee
Made from coffee beans sourced from Chikkamagaluru, roasted and ground fresh twice a day to ensure the flavour is never lost.
Special Thali
A grand feast served on a steel platter, featuring a curated spread of South Canara's finest culinary traditions.
The MTR Story — A Labour of Love
“A chronicle of our century — an account of the men and women who built MTR, the thousand hands of its unseen workers and the loyal patrons who have kept its legacy alive.”
Written by Pratima Chabbi, this hardbound book pieces together a hundred years of stories that had never been written down — through the voices of the Maiya family, cooks who’ve stood at the griddle for decades, and loyal patrons whose families have been visiting for generations.
The book is available in both English and Kannada editions at all our restaurants and on Amazon India.