While the ongoing conflict in West Asia has disrupted global energy supplies and contributed to an LPG shortage in Kerala, forcing several hotels and restaurants to temporarily shut down, one iconic eatery in Thrissur continues to operate without any disruption.
The secret behind the uninterrupted service at Geetha Hotel in Ammadam is surprisingly simple—it has never depended on LPG.
For over six decades, every meal served at the hotel has been cooked on traditional wood-fired stoves. Firewood, coconut shells, charcoal and tamarind wood remain the primary fuels in its kitchen, preserving both its heritage and its distinctive flavours.
“We have never brought an LPG cylinder into this hotel,” says Devan, one of the hotel’s senior employees. According to him, food cooked over firewood has a unique taste that keeps customers returning, while the current LPG shortage has only drawn more curious visitors eager to experience the hotel’s old-world cooking methods.
A Legacy Since 1965
Geetha Hotel began its journey in 1965, when Kochumon Vettiyattil and his wife Sharada opened a modest tea shop named Geetha Chayakkada in Ammadam’s Paris Nagar.
As the business grew, the family shifted the establishment in 1982 to its present location in the heart of Ammadam, transforming it into the Geetha Hotel known today.
Over the decades, numerous modern cafés and restaurants have opened in the area, but none have managed to replace the loyal customer base built by Geetha Hotel’s traditional recipes and consistent quality.
A Menu That Never Goes Out of Style
The restaurant remains packed throughout the day, serving a wide variety of Kerala favourites. Popular dishes include traditional meals, fried fish, beef with porotta, idli, dosa, masala dosa, vellayappam, tea, parippu vada, uzhunnu vada and pazham pori.
Regular customers say the authentic wood-fired cooking gives every dish a flavour that is difficult to replicate in modern kitchens.
Tradition Passed Through Generations
Following the passing of founders Kochumon and Sharada, the responsibility of running the hotel was taken over by their children—Chandrasekharan, Mani, Shaju and Raju—along with the younger generation of the family.
Despite changing times and evolving culinary trends, the family has chosen to preserve the traditional cooking methods handed down by their predecessors.
At a time when many eateries are struggling with cooking gas shortages, Geetha Hotel stands as a rare example of how tradition, sustainability and consistency can become an unexpected advantage in times of crisis.
