Jolly Bros & Co: How TEVA Architects Brought Mumbai's Irani Café Culture to Hyderabad

In Banjara Hills, a short walk from KBR National Park, TEVA Architects has completed Jolly Bros & Co, a 3,000-square-foot café that takes the Irani joints of mid-century Mumbai as its direct reference point.

The project started with research. Principal architect Vamsi Ballepu and the client team travelled to Mumbai and spent time in establishments including Café Mondegar, Leopold Café, Britannia & Co., Café Universal and Jimmy Boy before a single design decision was made. The brief was to recreate that particular atmosphere, not approximate it.

The site presented practical challenges. Located on the ground floor of a commercial building, the space had a low ceiling and natural light only from the front façade. The architects opened external walls for frosted windows with metal detailing and applied coffered detailing to the ceiling, resolving both the light and height problems while staying consistent with the colonial-era register the project was working in.

Materials were selected for accuracy. Ceramic dado tiles in earthy tones line the lower walls, checkered back-painted glass panels define the columns, and the floors carry the diagonal checkered pattern standard to the Irani café typology. Walls are finished in lime plaster, and columns are wrapped in dark-stained wood. All furniture is custom-designed around Parsi aesthetics with no fixed seating anywhere, keeping the dining arrangement open and communal in the way the original Irani cafés of Mumbai operated.

Lighting changes across the day. Cove lighting within the coffered ceiling and vintage-style ceiling fans handle daytime. In the evening the cove lights dim, and brass-accented pendant fixtures shift the mood. The bar counter, tucked into a corner due to existing service infrastructure, is tiled in vintage finishes with a polished stone top, wooden high stools, and dummy storage boxes with brass handles sourced directly from Parsi café references. Mirrors behind the counter add depth to a tight space.

The hand-painted caricature mural by artist Sudhakar, composed by AdUnit Media, takes its cue from Café Mondegar. It depicts the three owners in scenes drawn from their lives: one on a motorcycle, one lifting weights, and one, Saina Nehwal, playing badminton. The Charminar and auto-rickshaws run through the composition, placing a Mumbai-influenced interior clearly in Hyderabad.

The café is divided into two air-conditioned zones. The front section has sliding doors that open fully to the street, giving the space the option of an al fresco or smoking configuration. Jolly Bros & Co operates from breakfast through dinner, serving park-goers and neighborhood regulars throughout the day.

The project was completed in three months.

Fact File

Project: Jolly Bros & Co.

Location: Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Area: 3000sft

Typology: F&B Commercial

Completion Year: 2025

Architects: TEVA Architects

Principal Architects: Vamsi Ballepu, Tejaswi Poludasu

Design Team: Vamsi Ballepu, Tejaswi Poludasu, Jeevan

Photography Credits: Adunit Media

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