As nostalgia over disappearing childhood snacks continues to trend online, a tiny provision store in Bengaluru’s Mathikere has unexpectedly become the city’s latest viral sensation.
S A S General Stores, run by 53-year-old Roopa, has captured social media attention after an Instagram video showcased shelves packed with snacks many people believed had vanished years ago.
Located in one of old Bengaluru’s quieter neighbourhoods, the store has become a favourite destination for customers searching for treats like Thanda Fanda, Khattam-Khatta, Appalam Chaplam and colourful tube lollipops that were once common in local corner shops.
Store preserving Bengaluru’s childhood memories
Roopa said many former residents who lived in the area decades ago now return to the shop with their families just to relive childhood memories.
“Some customers bring their children to show them the snacks they grew up eating,” she said.
The shop was started over 40 years ago by her relatives and later taken over by Roopa after her father’s death. What began as a traditional ‘chilre angadi’ — a tiny neighbourhood corner store — slowly evolved into a provision shop, though its nostalgic charm remains unchanged.
Even today, colourful snacks for children are displayed near the entrance while household essentials are stocked deeper inside the store.
Viral video brings customers from across city
Since the Instagram video went viral, customers from different parts of Bengaluru have been visiting the shop, many buying packets of old snacks and taking photographs beside the tiny counter.
Roopa said the store still receives fresh stock of these nostalgic snacks twice a week because demand continues to remain strong.
Despite the sudden popularity online, she says the shop continues to function exactly the way it always has — simple, familiar and deeply connected to Bengaluru’s old neighbourhood culture.