German Bakery contractor to part ways with owners

The Nepali contractor of the German Bakery, who claims to have brought popularity to it, is parting ways with the owners after a two-decade long stint over sharing of the compensation received from the state government following the bomb blast at the eatery last year.
    
Ramgopal Karkee sounded bitter when he said that a part of the Rs14 lakh compensation awarded by Maharashtra government to the Kharose family, owners of the eatery premises, should have been given to him as he was the one who ran the German Bakery giving rent to them.
    
"I have been associated with the German Bakery since 1988 along with my German partner Mr Caluss (who later left) turning it into a brand with foreigners and locals in the city with certain specially-made snacks. We ran the place on contract basis furnishing it and employing about 22 workers from Nepal," he told PTI.
    
But, Ramgopal claimed, his request for sharing the compensation in order to enable him to start from the scratch with new staff and furniture was turned down by the owners.    

"I am now thinking of starting my own 'German Bakery' in the city maintaining its original ambiance and flavour," he added.
    
The Kharose family are to open their newly-built establishment at the blast-affected site in the plush Koregaon Park area for customers in a month's time. A blast rocked the popular eatery exactly a year ago, killing 17 people, including four foreigners, and injuring over 50.