Opening next week at Delhi High Court, a cafe run by neurodiverse people
The cafe, called Sagar Express, will have six persons with different types of neurodiversity – including autism among others – working on rotation.
3 min read
The cafe, called Sagar Express, will have six people across different categories of neurodiversity. (Express File photo)From manning the counter and tackling sales to dishing out mouth-watering South Indian fare, a diverse set of employees will be in charge of a new cafe opening at the Delhi High Court next week.
The cafe, called Sagar Express, will have six persons with different types of neurodiversity – including autism among others – working on rotation. “The main motive of opening this cafe is to empower such persons financially,” said Senior Advocate Ravi Gupta, also chairman of NGO Shaurya Foundation Trust (SFT), who is behind this initiative.
Donning the manager’s hat will be Arunima (36), who is neurodiverse. Hailing from Kolkata and a resident of Noida, she has two master’s degrees in History and Travel and Tourism.
Prerna (34), a digital designer from Delhi, will be the salesperson. Her employers describe her as a “charismatic individual with a fantastic sense of humor”.
Vikhayat and Hardik, aged 24 from Delhi-NCR, will be sales associates. They are non-verbal and experts at reading social cues.
They will communicate with customers via an application, Avaz, which is a picture-based communication and learning app for people with special needs.
Sabhya (22), known to swiftly adapt to new tasks, will be the cashier.
Reha (22), who excels in making both cookies and presentations, will also be working as a salesperson.
A trained baker working with SFT, Sumer (25) will be found pouring chutneys and making dahi bhalla for the advocates who visit the cafe.
An artist with a keen eye for detail, Varun (23), who is on the neurodiverse spectrum, will be working on the Bain Marie counter where advocates can enjoy chutneys and dahi bhallas. He will be joined by Rijul (24), who is very excited about serving customers South Indian food as it is “lighter” on the stomach.
A master salesman, Princey (45) will be managing the sales counter.
Located a few 100 metres away from the Starbucks outlet inside the premises, which opened in March, the cafe is a collaboration with Sagar Ratna.
The project is a culmination of two years of training. “The majority of persons that will run the cafe will be those with neurodiversity… they’ll be given managerial positions,” senior advocate Gupta told The Indian Express.
It was after 2002 that Gupta decided to help neurodivergent adults. That year, he and his wife Rani decided to adopt a boy, who they named Shaurya. Right before he turned two, doctors informed his parents that he was autistic. Since 2011, STF has been working with neurodivergent adults.
“Sagar Ratna at the High Court is like a dream come true for our skilled colleagues where they will now be able to showcase their abilities at the ordering counter, drink serving, and hosting with a focus on customer feedback,” SFT told The Indian Express.
All of Sagar Ratna’s South Indian fare will be served at the cafe, Rubina Mohan, director of STF, told The Indian Express.
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