It is 7.30am and Coimbatore’s Annapoorna branch near the District Court is filled with early morning walkers and joggers who have come for breakfast. The ambience is warm and relaxed, as many customers know each other, exchange smiles, and a friendly word. One table though, is particularly lively. They have just finished walking at Race Course, and have stopped for coffee: a morning ritual that has remained unchanged since 1997. The day has just begun for members of Coimbatore’s Coffee Club, all of them over 65 years old.
For them, these 20 minutes are sacrosanct. “We meet, go for a walk, gather here for coffee, and disperse,” shares K Loganathan, one of the oldest members. Many of them, who once lead active lives, have transitioned into retirement. Loganathan, who has brought a packet of sundal, distributes them among the waiters, many of whom he has known for years. “This is something that I do every day,” he says.
The first member of the Coffee Club, that has 20 members, was V Balasundaram, who is now no more. “I got acquainted with him during one of my morning walks, and gradually, our group grew bigger,” says D Anguraj. The members have seen each other’s children grow, finish school, college, get married, and eventually, become grandfathers themselves. Every year, they organise a trip around Pongal, travelling to places across India, and on occasions, abroad as well.
Over the years, they have explored the region’s food scene extensively, and have a list of places they head to for treats such as mutton curry and naatu kozhi fry. “Our Sundays are for a non-vegetarian breakfast,” says Loganathan. SV Indra Kumar and VS Dhanraj add that they also frequent places such as Udumalpet and Karanampettai to eat at their regular haunts.
But it is not just love for food and coffee that holds the club together. “It is the fact that we’ve known each other for years, and can talk just about anything when we are together,” says Loganathan. “At this age, such friendships are rare.” R Dhandabani adds, “That we have each other’s company to look forward to every morning is something that drives us.”
Members of the Coffee Club do have a WhatsApp group they are part of, but they rely on good old, direct communication when it comes to keeping in touch. Perhaps that is why they continue to be a unit.
“We have no expectations from one another,” Indra Kumar says. The Coffee Club does not have a registration fee or rules of any sort. There is one rule though: they must have coffee together every morning.
