At first glance, you will see a sober building tucked into a quiet corner of Richmond Town. But as you go in, you find colourful murals and paintings winding up the staircase to Doodle Den — a spacious and well-lit ‘fun space’ for kids and families.

This is exactly the way Kavita Muthappa wanted her dream to materialise. A true Bangalorean, having lived here all her life, Kavita always felt that the city needed a resource centre that served as a fun place for children and adults to pool their talents and learn something along the way.

“My background has nothing to do with setting up Doodle Den. I lived and studied in Bangalore, and did my MBA here. Soon after, I joined a corporate company and worked there for seven years. It is when my son became three-and-a-half years old that I realised that the city lacks a fun place for kids.” That was when I decided to put my thoughts and theory into action. I quit my job and started Doodle Den.” Doodle Den houses a kids’ lounge, a gift shop, a salon, a movie lounge — complete with a home theatre system — an arts and crafts room and a rooftop area for dance classes.

Doodle Den is also the franchise for ‘The Colour Factory’, a one-of-its-kind paint your own ceramics and pottery studio. “We have white ceramics of different sizes and shapes — from pots and vases to photo frames. Anyone who comes to the class can paint any of these and leave it with us. We will then glaze them, fire them and then give it back to the painter to keep as their own,” Kavita says. The ceramics studio is divided into areas for kids and adults, and also houses two pottery wheels for those who want to try their hand at making their own ceramics.

Kavita also organises various themed parties at Doodle Den. Organising, setting up and running the whole place is a mammoth task. “It was very difficult for a woman to dare to start a place like this. The whole concept itself is brand new. Doodle Den is a retail store, not a school.

As a woman, I faced a tough time explaining this concept to people, especially when I had to take loans from banks to start the place. Plus, many didn’t understand why I quit a corporate job to start something new and untested. It took an all-girls team to make the place look like it does now. Doodle Den is now four months old and is being handled by two managers — again girls — and well-trained staff. I’m also looking to open a few branches in the City,” she says.

Kavita can be contacted at
kmuthappa@gmail.com