The familiar aroma of home

tasty treats

In one of the strident roads of HSR Layout, a little further down the bus stop in sector 2, lies ‘Art Blend Cafe - Coffee with a hobby’. The cafe bears a warm and welcoming look to youngsters and adults alike. 

   Started by Archana Gupta and Prateeti Shukla, the space is actually a rented house converted to an eatery. The cafe has a cosy and homely look with colourful chairs and most of the items like sugar-holders, salt cups, vases, paper flowers and the decorated pots on the tables in the cafe are home-made and hand-painted.

‘Art Blend Cafe’ offers a wide range of items, the most popular being cappuccino, mocha, hot chocolate and Irish coffee in the beverage section and hot samosas and fried cutlets as quick bites. People also like the home-made chocolates, some of which are made in the shape of spoons, topped with gems and home-made cookies. 

“We tried to find a place in HSR Layout because we felt that this is still a growing hub and has a lot of opportunities. The space and the location was also appropriate for it to be converted to a cafe,” says Archana. 

“We also take the customers’ feedback into account very seriously. Every 15 days, we have a special item and if customers like it, we incorporate it in the menu. This week, ‘caffe exotica’ and ‘caffe fiesta’ are the special beverages. No item is frozen in this cafe. We always prepare hot food and serve it then and there. The place is mainly crowded in the mornings for breakfast and evenings when youngsters come in for coffee and snacks.”

Prateeti Shukla says that she always had a passion for cooking and hence had the idea to start a business in culinary art. “We keep experimenting with our recipes. Once, we experimented with waffles. Waffles are mainly crispy outside and fluffy on the inside. We added more corn to see if it becomes crispier. Our Mediterranean salads are also a big hit and are selling very fast,” she said. 

Archana, who is a housewife from Kanpur and has known Prateeti for about nine years, says, “Prateeti has an interest in culinary skills while I have an inclination towards art and craft. Hence, she is the fore runner of the eatery while I take care of the art hub. We decided to combine our love for food and art together mainly to provide a platform for people to display their work.

The art and craft work is done upstairs. Hence, as a few customers enjoy coffee in the eatery, we provide materials and assistance to those who want to come in and learn about art work and want to make a few items like jewellery, clay models, paintings, etc.”

   The Art Blend Cafe is located at 659, 22 cross, 24th main, Sector 2, Club Road, HSR Layout.