Siliguri, Feb. 22 -- At a time when the city is grappling with the rising number of illegal toto (e-rickshaw) vehicles, a young entrepreneur has transformed a toto into a unique mobile food stall.
Raja Kumar, a resident of Debidanga, has created a two-storey mini restaurant on a toto, offering customers the rare experience of dining on its rooftop. The special attraction of this moving eatery is that nearly eight people can sit and eat together on the roof.
From Chinese dishes to tea, coffee and momos, the stall offers a variety of popular food items. Food lovers have welcomed the innovative initiative and praised the creativity behind it.
Raja said the idea came to him through social media and he began thinking how a toto could be modified into a compact food stall. "As soon as the idea struck me, I started working on it," he said. After several weeks of effort and an investment of nearly Rs. 2.5 lakh, the unique mini restaurant was ready.
"It was my long-cherished dream to do something different with a toto. I'm glad people are enjoying the concept. The daily crowd is my biggest reward," said Raja.
The toto still retains its original three wheels but has been reinforced with six additional jacks to maintain balance. It also has a running water connection for convenience. At night, the vehicle lights up with colorful decorative lights, making it even more eye-catching.
The food stall initially started operating in the Debidanga area about a month ago and has now shifted to Darjeeling More in Siliguri.
A customer, Sudip Sen, shared his excitement, saying, "I have travelled in a toto before, but I never imagined eating on its roof. This mini restaurant is truly amazing."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.