MUMBAI -- In 1923, a British officer told Rashid Kohinoor, a Zoroastrian immigrant from Iran's Yazd province, that he could have a license to open a restaurant within 24 hours if he gave his venture a British name. Just like that, Britannia & Co. was born at Ballard Pier, Mumbai's commercial and maritime hub.
Today, Britannia is one of the few remnants of Mumbai's once-thriving "Irani" cafe culture, which showcased the city's ethnic diversity and traditions of inclusivity.
