Everything except for the walls is on Sale here!
COFFEE WITH A DIFFERENCE
Everything, except for the walls, is for sale at this cafe!
Project Cafe by Drasty Shah is a unique combination of Cafe, gallery and museum.
Imagine dining at a restaurant or a cafe and someone just peeps over your shoulder or bends at the side of your chair to check a tag that reads FOR SALE! However, at The Project Cafe (TPC), this is a regular sight.
Bright yellow on the outside with dark blue doors and window frames, TPC is completely white inside. Everything except for the walls, is on sale at the cafe. Founded by Drasty Shah, it is a refurbished old bungalow. And while Drasty bravely battles daily maintenance issues, the smile and satisfaction on her customer’s faces makes it worthwhile.
On how TPC is different from other Cafes, Drasty says, “We are a three in one combination - Cafe, gallery and a museum. Unlike most other cafes, ours is a rare setup for Ahmedabad and by God’s grace, we are doing great.” Open all days from 10 am to 11 pm, Drasty and her team serve nearly 250 people every weekend. Having done a course in visual communication and branding, Drasty felt that there was something missing in the city art scenario, especially when it came to artist who wanted to exhibit and sell their works.
“Another USP of the place is you can come here anytime you want. From informal gatherings to cozy couple meetings to even chatting or gossiping, we offer it all. Moreover, if you like what you see, you can purchase it as well.” Drasty has tied up with artists, jewelry designers, apparel designers students of design, other streams, furniture and other home decor makers for the items on sale. Most artists don’t even have a store, she says TPC is a platform for these artists, she says.
If a product is bought from the Cafe, Drasty will take her share; but if a customer wants more than what they like and/or buy from her she hands them a visiting card bearing the artist’s contact details. Drasty keeps changing her interiors accordingly.
This event manager and student of masters in hospitality in global tourism, says her Cafe is still at an experimental stage. She took on rent this nearly 80 year old bungalow and worked on it for two years before opening its door to Amdawadis.
Author,
Piyush Patel, dna