740618 - Letter to Jayatirtha from Satsvarupa

Germany,

June 18, 1974

From: Satsvarupa

Dear Jayatirtha,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

The other day, His Divine Grace revealed in detail his plans for Hare Krishna Restaurants, which can be opened anywhere in the world. I know this subject has been discussed somewhat over the years, but after his talk mostly recently he told me to see that this information is disseminated to all the devotees. He described it “as” the next phase of our movement”. Please therefore make a newsletter of the information which follows for all-ISKCON distribution. Our Krishna Conscious farms, like New Vrindaban, are producing much ghee. This ghee should be distributed at a fee to the different centers, and once restaurants begin opening, the ghee will be one of their prime materials. Other supplies such as vegetables, grains etc. can be obtained locally. The restaurants should be cafeteria style. The food is kept out on counters and people approach on a line with a tray and take what they want. Prabhupada proposed that there should be one charge and if a person takes more than another person, he is not charged more. As much as you like for a certain fee. But there should be no waste. A person should take what he can eat. One devotee hearing this said, “Prabhupada I think people will be carrying samosas home in their pockets”. “No” he said, “it is a business. Only what they can eat. But they don’t get charged more for eating more like in hotel immediately there is a bill if you eat more.” We can also make home deliveries. The food is cooked fresh and as it is taken more fresh batches are put on the counter, always fresh. There will be about 20 sweet preparations, and 20 salty preparations like samosas (made with potatoes, peas, cauliflower, white flour and ghee) and kachories etc. The vegetables preps. must be served hot. Everything should be so clean that not a single fly will be seen. After the first batch of prasadam is made it will be offered to Lord Caitanya with arotik, then the prasadam for the rest of the day will be considered offered. Smoking is of course prohibited in the restaurant. Tapes can play of our kirtans. The idea is that people who will not come to our temples will come and eat at our restaurants and be engaged in eating prasadam and hearing. Also it will engage men, our devotees in new varieties of pursuits, not that without engagement men should sleep and eat in our temples in the name of devotional service. Hare Krishna Restaurants! The name, Srila Prabhupada said, should also be legally registered so that others may not imitate.

Foods cooked in ghee, foods cooked in water, all the standard varieties will be there. Foods cooked in ghee are especially wonderful and healthful. People should come and be relaxed, eat and talk relaxed and see how nice Krishna Consciousness is. There will be a small book and record store in the restaurant. Devotees will do all the work in the restaurant. We can even import an expert Indian cook if necessary. At the end of the day everything must be thoroughly washed down and no leftovers. No prasadam will be given away free. At a certain hour at the end of the day the leftovers can be sold half price or some even given away. But the venture has to be an economically profitable business.

“Start out the business small and train up men in one restaurant then you can expand gradually. You can give them nice drinks. Masala milk made with small quantities of ginger, saffron, pepper and cinnamon can be served hot, and cold juices. No tea is served. Yogurt can be made from hot mild and when drunk as whey is very good for digestion.

So here is the idea. Now our business-inclined devotees should plan and organize this into reality, by starting one restaurant which can be a model for others. It is not a pipe dream or vague suggestion but a new plan which Srila Prabhupada wants implemented. If in time he can visit the first Hare Krishna restaurant and sees it running as he has outlined it he will be very pleased.

Your servant,

Satsvarupa das Goswami