A lot can happen at a cafe!

Changing this trend, Paaka Organic Café in Tellapur has started an initiative under which it brings together the elderly for some good food and nostalgic conversation.
Paaka Organic Cafe
Paaka Organic Cafe

HYDERABAD:  In the recent past, Hyderabad’s cafe culture has grown in a sophisticated fashion, with many theme-based and eco-friendly cafes opening up across the city. But somehow, we rarely find an old couple passing their time at these hangouts. 

Changing this trend, Paaka Organic Café in Tellapur has started an initiative under which it brings together the elderly for some good food and nostalgic conversation. Kick-started on Friday, the elderly noshed on homemade organic food as they shared their stories from the good ol’ days. 

According to the organisers, this pilot project aims at connecting baby boomers and helping them narrate their nostalgia. The cafe, which is also a cultural space that has been encouraging independent arts, has decided that it will continue to invite the elderly every month for a joyful evening.

“We have been hosting different kinds of events ever since we set up shop. We hold movie screenings, stand-up comedy nights, open mic and other events on a regular basis. We had also hosted events curated to specific age groups -- such as ladies’ night, kids’ night, couples’ night and a few others.

But, the idea of elders’ night has a personal reason behind it,” says Bharath Dantuluri, the founder of Paaka Organic Café. The people, who run the cafe, haven’t been able to give enough time to their grandparents and families. “We feel disconnected from our lives and our elders. We are basically creating a space to engage with the elderly over food. 

We hope this concept works; it would give shape to a club where elderly people can meet and hangout,” Bharath says. A typical evening at this cafe would look something like this: people sitting around a bonfire, enjoying some live or lounge music and snacking away. 

Meanwhile, Paaka Organic Café also intends to promote artists, underground artists who do not get a chance in mainstream cultural spaces. “We serve traditional homemade food inspired by the length and breadth of the country. 

We also have a changing menu, as we keep tweaking recipes. Sometimes it’s themed -- we have a Bihari menu, Rajasthani and so on. Everything we make here is organic,” Bharath says.

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The New Indian Express
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