BHUBANESWAR : Among the large number of restaurants dotting the Puri landscape, ‘Chatni’ stands out. Being the first restaurant in Odisha to be run entirely by differently-abled persons, it uses food as an element of social change and for empowering its staff.
The quaint vegetarian restaurant, supported by Puri administration, was opened last week on the premises of the Collector’s office. It currently has eight staff - all either suffering from locomotor disability or having lost hands and limbs to mishaps - who greet every visitor with a warm smile. Each of them have overcome several struggles to start life afresh.
Be it taking orders, managing counters, serving the customers with a delectable bowl of ‘dahi pakhala’ or brewing a perfect cup of tea, they are doing it all. “We want every guest in our hotel to step out of this place with a smile. We do not want them to treat us in a different manner which is why we ensure that all the work related to running the restaurant is done here in a seamless manner despite our physical disabilities,” said Prasanta Kumar Nayak, who suffers from polio with 70 per cent disability.
Chatni’s menu, for the time being, is a small one with limited items but the staff claim the food is high on taste and hygiene. The menu has snacks and lunch options with focus on dishes that involve minimal cooking and stove work. “One of our highlights now is ‘dahi pakhala’. Our customers include government officers, staff and the general public. On an average, we are getting around 50 to 80 visitors,” says Jayanti Prusty, who takes orders from customers and also manages the cash counter.
In March 2018, Jayanti suffered severe burn injuries in an LPG cylinder explosion in Puri. The woman survived the mishap but within months, she suffered another accident and broke her limbs. The mishaps left her with 75 per cent disability. Jayanti, however, was determined to stand on her feet. She started doing odd jobs in 2021 to eke out a living and last week, Jayanti took her first step towards financial independence by joining the restaurant.
Collector Samarth Verma said the restaurant is aimed at providing the specially-abled staff a livelihood support. Mentorship and handholding support is being provided by the administration.