ET Bureau By Ipsita Basu
BENGALURU: Lincy and Manoj Iype love to listen. So whether you are lonely in the city or facing relationship troubles, their quaint Mustard Café in Koramangala has its doors and ears open for you.
“We were so disturbed to know through news reports that Bengaluru was being called the suicide capital of the country ,“ says Lincy . “As we looked for details on why that was happening, we got to know that it was because young people in the city were feeling alienated and lonely . So we decided to reach out to them in our own small way to make a difference.“
The café offers a place for people to pour their hearts out to the Iypes over cups of coffee. “We just lend a patient ear to those who want to be heard. Over time, we have managed to save some marriages on the verge of breaking, help teens cope with their lives, all through peer-topeer experience-sharing and speaking our hearts out,“ shares Lincy .
The 17-month-old café serving food for the soul is among several such outlets in Bengaluru that strive to do their bit.
Treehouse Kitchen & Culture, also in Koramangala, has started something on the lines of suspended meals, a concept where people pay in advance for food to be provided to those requesting a meal but unable to afford it.
“Suspended meals are a great way of giving back to the community ,“ says managing director Dhanesh Agarwal. “But we decided to run it ourselves, instead of transferring this responsibility to our customers, in the form of free meals to orphanages.“
Om Restaurant in Koramangala, located near EnAble India, an organisation that works to empower those who are differently abled, has a Braille menu for diners.
“We had a lot of customers from EnAble India. These were people who had travelled the world, were working and yet had to sometimes depend on me to read out the menu to them,“ says owner Bhavna Jain.“I found this disheartening and with help from people at EnAble, we introduced the menu so that my clients were truly self-sufficient.“
The café also introduced ramps to be wheelchair-friendly .
“People often ask me if these initiatives have increased my business. I tell them that I don't take the economics of this into account,“ says Jain. “I want to make life dignified for my clients in my own small way ,“ added Jain.
BENGALURU: Lincy and Manoj Iype love to listen. So whether you are lonely in the city or facing relationship troubles, their quaint Mustard Café in Koramangala has its doors and ears open for you.
“We were so disturbed to know through news reports that Bengaluru was being called the suicide capital of the country ,“ says Lincy . “As we looked for details on why that was happening, we got to know that it was because young people in the city were feeling alienated and lonely . So we decided to reach out to them in our own small way to make a difference.“
The café offers a place for people to pour their hearts out to the Iypes over cups of coffee. “We just lend a patient ear to those who want to be heard. Over time, we have managed to save some marriages on the verge of breaking, help teens cope with their lives, all through peer-topeer experience-sharing and speaking our hearts out,“ shares Lincy .
The 17-month-old café serving food for the soul is among several such outlets in Bengaluru that strive to do their bit.
Treehouse Kitchen & Culture, also in Koramangala, has started something on the lines of suspended meals, a concept where people pay in advance for food to be provided to those requesting a meal but unable to afford it.
“Suspended meals are a great way of giving back to the community ,“ says managing director Dhanesh Agarwal. “But we decided to run it ourselves, instead of transferring this responsibility to our customers, in the form of free meals to orphanages.“
Om Restaurant in Koramangala, located near EnAble India, an organisation that works to empower those who are differently abled, has a Braille menu for diners.
“We had a lot of customers from EnAble India. These were people who had travelled the world, were working and yet had to sometimes depend on me to read out the menu to them,“ says owner Bhavna Jain.“I found this disheartening and with help from people at EnAble, we introduced the menu so that my clients were truly self-sufficient.“
The café also introduced ramps to be wheelchair-friendly .
“People often ask me if these initiatives have increased my business. I tell them that I don't take the economics of this into account,“ says Jain. “I want to make life dignified for my clients in my own small way ,“ added Jain.
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