After having held the title of India's pub city, Bengaluru is now set to explore the world of cafes. The city today has lot more to offer than the numerous watering holes that have made it famous all over the country.
One can find quirky and interesting themed cafes that cater to the interests of almost every person; a literary cafe for the book lovers, gaming cafes for the gamers and also health-oriented cafes that focus on both mental and physical health.
Priya William a frequent visitor at 'Cafe Artelier', a therapy cafe that aims at breaking the stigma around mental health in our country, says, "'Cafe Artelier' allows me to express my feelings and emotions in the best way I know and that is through dance. As a dancer, dance is the biggest form of therapy for me."
Nithish Metti, the director of 'Cafe Artelier', says that their inspiration behind the cafe was to "Ensure that people felt comfortable while talking about mental health. People often steer away from the topic as they are scared of visiting doctors and counsellors at hospitals and mental health centres. So we wanted to bring the counsellors to the people and what better way than in the form of a cafe, where we combine therapy with different forms of art."
Another such theme-based cafe is 'Dialogues' where one only pays for the time spent there. Vaishnavi Anil, a customer, says, "This is the perfect place for a freelancer like me. As a photographer and blogger, I often visit this place to sit and solely focus on my work."
The co-founder of 'Dialogues', Udai Kiran says his inspiration behind opening the cafe was to "Open a place that focuses more on the people rather than on the food. The entrepreneurs and freelancers in the city have no place to go where they can just sit and concentrate on their work instead of being forced to buy food. At 'Dialogues' we wanted to create a space where instead of paying for food, people pay for the time they spend at the cafe."
When asked about the goal behind establishing an wizardry-themed cafe, Pravitha, the co-owner of 'Two Friends Cauldron', says that, "Our goal was to open a space where the focus was not just on the food. We wanted to add a special magical touch to the cafe and there was no better way to do that than Harry Potter. Almost everyone relates to Harry Potter and his many adventures, be it a 12-year-old or a 70-year-old."
Shabaz Ahmed, an avid fan of Harry Potter, says, "As a 90s kid who grew up reading and watching Harry Potter, 'Two Friends Cauldron' truly feels magical to me. It's such an interesting experience when people make an effort to add an extra touch to a cafe/restaurant. It makes the place all the more special."
Regarding the scope for such themed cafes in Bengaluru, Udai believes, "If you want to open a themed cafe, then Bengaluru is the place to do it. Bengalureans are way more open to such ideas than people in other cities."
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