In 10 Lines: How Bengaluru’s Corner House Went From Empty Tables to 1.5 Lakh Litres of Ice Cream a Month

1 June 2025

In 1982, Narayan Rao came back to Bengaluru with a dream — and opened Corner House, a small café serving burgers and just three sundaes.

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But dreams don’t always come easy. Long waits, slow days, and rising costs almost shut his doors — until a bank manager gave him one last lifeline.

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One day in 1989, Rao built a see-through freezer with fake sundaes — and for the first time, people started lining up for ice cream.

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On August 3, 1995, with no cooks in sight, Rao served the last burger himself and quietly closed the kitchen forever.

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He chose to believe in what people really loved — and decided Corner House would be all about ice cream.

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Then came the request that changed everything: “Make it richer, more decadent.”

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With cake, fudge, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and nuts — Death By Chocolate was born, and Bengaluru fell in love.

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From one tiny café, Corner House grew to 22 outlets — but kept the warmth and simplicity it started with.

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Today, over 1.5 lakh litres of ice cream are served each month, but Death By Chocolate remains its sweetest memory.

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Rao’s journey reminds us: when one door closes, another opens — often to something sweeter.

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