ON A ROLL: A Nizam’s special. A Telegraph picture

Forget the fear of recession — just have a roll. The downturn may have robbed many of their appetite but Calcutta retains its hunger for the big fat greasy roll, making it a rare recession-resistant bestseller.

Coated with egg or filled with chunks of chicken, mutton or paneer, the city’s most enduring contribution to the fast food menu is on a roll even as upmarket restaurants take a hit. Nizam’s, which “invented” the kathi roll, and the popular Kusum Snack Bar on Park Street have reported a 25 per cent jump in winter sales, proving that certain things in the Calcuttan’s life aren’t ruled by the law of economic gravity.

In contrast, five-star lounges and high-end restaurants are bleeding. “Sales are down by 20-25 per cent,” a spokesperson for a star address said.

Satish Gupta, the owner of Kusum Snack Bar, attributes the roll’s growing popularity to a combination of lip-smacking goodness and reasonable pricing. “Everyone dotes on the roll. So it’s business as usual for us, no matter what the state of the economy is,” he says.

Kusum Snack Bar, which has been in business for three decades, charges between Rs 12 and Rs 55 for a roll, depending on what goes inside it and how much. “On an average, we serve 400 customers a day,” says Gupta.

Rajiv Ghosh, a spokesperson for Nizam’s, thinks value for money is what makes the New Market food stop tick. “We are a restaurant for the masses and the ups and downs of the market have had no effect on our sales. Our most popular items are the Khiri Kebab Roll in the beef section and the Chicken Roll and Mutton Kathi Roll in the non-beef section.”

When IIM Calcutta’s Class of 1983 was in town for the annual alumni meet on the Joka campus in late December, some of them took time out to turn the clock back and visit the roll hangout. “Rolls from Nizam’s used to be our favourite snack. I revisited those old flavours after 24 years. Our group of six also packed about 20 rolls to take back to the campus for dinner,” recalls Chennai-based Mani Sam, 50.

Other outlets for rolls are also raking in the moolah despite the downturn. “People may think twice about going to a star hotel during an economic crisis but the roll suits every pocket. It’s filling and can substitute lunch or dinner,” points out Md Aslam of Hot Kati Rolls, on Park Street.

Suman Bothra, whose office is on Middleton Row, can’t imagine life without roll and phuchka. “I have cut down on regular expenses but not on the light bite. Street food like rolls and phuchkas are not only filling but also hard to resist,” she chuckles. Suman and her colleagues are regulars at Golden Spoon, a Middleton Row eatery famous for its rolls.