#SecondWave: Iconic Kolkata bakery shuts down factory – Times of India

It’s a bakery that had a humble beginning in 1985 and since then, the owners, sisters Lovey and Puja Kapoor, have become women entrepreneur icons of the city. They have catered to Kolkata and India’s elite and commoners alike and even baked Satyajit Ray’s birthday cakes for years.
And now, in the centenary year of the master filmmaker who so loved their cakes, Kookie Jar has been forced to take a break by the coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve decided to shut our factory down and also the retail outlets for the time being after the West Bengal government directed shops to remain open only from 7am to 10am and 3pm to 5pm,” Lovey told us, adding, “We have two shops in malls (which too closed are for an indefinite period) and two standalone shops. But no one comes to buy cakes at 7 in the morning, right? So, what’s the point of keeping the shops open? Even the flow of online orders is not enough. At least we can save on electricity charges.”
Asserting that they are no longer focusing on the financial aspect of closing business, Lovey said, “The safety of the workers, who work in close proximity in our factory, and the people who work in our shops is our top priority now. Many of them avail local transport to travel, so it’s better not to risk their lives. We are not sure when we’ll open again, as the partial lockdown is indefinite. We’ll take a call once the government issues a new circular about reopening of shops.”
Another popular bakery, Cakes, has not decided to shut shop yet, but is not allowing customers to enter the outlets. “One has to stand outside the shop and order. We’ve done this keeping in mind the safety of the customers and our staff. But there’s hardly any business. Online orders have also dipped and are never enough to cover our establishment costs,” said Satyendra Mishra of the brand, which has been in the confectionary business in the city since 1997.