In pin drop silence of the dawn, 27-year-old Rahul Arora, who isn’t a big fan of early mornings, gets into his car to drive to Hooting Owl Café, that he launched recently. The first batch of customers start coming in at 7 am. Before that, the kitchen needs all of him. He and his chefs move around the space undistracted, working dexterously to get things in order. Before we know it, the sign on the door is turned over to ‘we’re open’.
One of the few places offering breakfast that early, Rahul’s café has already begun to win the hearts (and stomachs) of many.
People mostly coming back from their walk or the gym drop in that early. “They have our protein shakes, salads and energy bytes,” says Rahul. “Customised meals are our strength. We’ve been getting a lot of orders for them. I go through every meal plan before it’s delivered.” They also offer soups, sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pastas and more through the day.
Opening a restaurant now was the result of a year-long wait. This was followed by several attempts to get land funding and investment. Unfortunately, there were no takers. He was turned down a dozen times before he found what he needed. “Interestingly today, when the café is doing well, many investment offers have come. Isn’t the sudden turn around funny?” he smirks.
The café was the result of a naive bet between him and a friend. It required him to get a ribbed body within a certain time. He tried everything—running, gymming, calisthenics—but to no great results. “I had done everything except for one thing, eating right. It was then that I became interested in food that benefited the body and subsequently introduced that to others,” he smiles.
Rahul plans to make the café a 24x7 affair. But before that, many early mornings await him.