The Burma Bazaar around the sacred tank became a popular destination for goods from overseas market. The area also was home to all the popular colleges in the city. The Thayumanavar temple and the Uchi Pillayar Koil was a sacred temple for devotees from across the state.
Despite all these favourable factors that triggered the entry of Michaels, it still remains a remarkable achievement to have first survived eight decades and to have also emerged as the most favourite ice cream brand of Tiruchirapalli.
In the first few decades of its launch, Grape Syrup, available for 25 Paise, was the biggest hit among the customers who have since remained loyal to this brand of ice cream for several decades.
What is admirable over these decades has been the focus on quality. While the parlour has moved on to the third generation of brothers, quality has remained the same. Each day, they heat and boil the milk to the brim losing 20% (of the milk) in this heating process. They use the purest of the chocolate powder in the preparation of chocolate ice cream. On weeks that they are not able to source the best of ingredients, those flavours are not stocked, such is their commitment to quality. And that is the reason, that despite the emergence of several large and big branded ice cream shops cropping up in the town in recent times, people continue to flock to Michaels to taste different flavours such as Pista, Fruit Salad, Chocolate, Strawberry in small cups.
He has found great satisfaction in serving customers day in day out during these three decades of his stint here at Michaels. Most of the decades long customers call him as Pandyan and he almost knows what their next order would be.
Anyone visiting the busy Burma Bazaar below the Rockfort temple rarely misses a bite and a sip at Michaels. It is the customer and not the profit intent that is driving the third generation owners to continue this popular brand into the ninth decade, making available over 10 different flavours. And it is a journey that is likely to continue much into the future.
Michaels Ice Cream is open between 10am and 10pm.