Pune Inc: Startup comes up with new idea, gives India its first time café

Founder Vandita Purohit, whose other ventures include a design studio called Kalapentry and a travel startup Trawork, said, “What would you do if you don’t want to have coffee or eat anything but just sit by yourself, meet a friend and spend time? I read an interesting article on third spaces. At an earlier time, you had your home, which is the first space, a place of work, which is your second space, and everything else was categorised as the ‘third space’, from a theatre or community centre to a club or a restaurant. Today, we have ceased to have those kinds of spaces.”

Founder Vandita Purohit’s other ventures include a design studio called Kalapentry and a travel startup Trawork.

“Third spaces are not the same as restaurants, where you are obliged to order. Third spaces are meant for unwinding,” she said.

Mauji Cafe started in October 2020, survived the successive Covid-19 waves, and managed to acquire a 33 per cent retention in clientele. It is now planning to spread to other cities in India, beginning with eight cities, to ensure a first-mover advantage. The cafe is a lot of things — from a co-working space that has 42 seats to event spaces to a store. Time cafe is not a popular concept and most of them are in Russia, the UK and other parts of Europe, where Purohit first came across the concept.

Purohit’s revenue model is based on events, from corporate dos to farmers’ and flea markets to business showers, where they celebrate a business and its founder. Once a month, there is a movie screening and every Saturday, there is an event. These are either organised by the cafe or in collaboration. “A lot of people come, who might not turn into immediate customers, but keep Mauji Cafe in their conversations and, thus, spread the word. For the winter flea in December, there were 260 visitors,” says Purohit.

The pandemic had locked down people into the confines of their homes and, even after businesses opened up, made one aware of the importance of private spaces and me-time. Does Purohit see the effect of Covid in the rising popularity of Mauji Cafe? “What I am observing constantly is that people need a space, not food or coffee. If people are going to a restaurant to meet a friend and ordering coffee, it is to justify being there and using the space. Food isn’t something people go out for as often unless they are going out for food,” she says.

Mauji has been designed to allow groups or individuals to have that essential indulgence — time. Hence, the tables are large but seat a few and there is no rush to do or be anything. People come here to read, watch films on their laptops, play Uno or just have a good time. “Apart from our offices and homes, we need another place to ourselves and that is what I am trying to create,” says Purohit.