Pics: Narayan Pissurlenkar
Remember the times when you wish you could slip down a rabbit hole and enter wonderland the same way that Alice did in the popular classic novel Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carol? Your wish has finally been fulfilled. Only you don’t really have to slide down a rabbit hole. Just step into Panaji’s latest fun hang out spot, The Madhatters Tea Café and become a part of your favourite fairy tale.
With cute colourful tea ware and tea pot menus to make your tea experience memorable, and clocks on the walls reading different timings, you can dress up as your favourite character and take pictures at the selfie booth. And while the rain pelts down heavily, choose from an array of teas like Darjeeling tea, Rose Tea, Saffron Kahwa, Egyptian Chamomile, grab a snack like the delicious sandwiches or salad (there’s even a surprise Alice’s choice one) or the monsoon special pakoras, pull up a chair and revisit the favourite tale again with a special copy placed at each table. After all as the Mad hatter famously said, “It’s always time for tea!”
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The Goan: So how did the idea of this tea café all come about?
Rahila Pinto: India is the largest consumer of tea in the world. But somehow we have had coffee chains taking over the market and tea has always seemed to take the backseat until recently. I have observed that different types of tea have picked up with supermarkets stocking a large variety of teas. While I worked in Gurgaon for three years, I noticed two new tea chains starting up and was fascinated by the number of varieties of teas there are around. In fact, the concept of specialised tea cafes has picked up in the metros a while ago. There are a large number of them in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, etc. I always dreamed of running my own café and observing all I this gave me the idea of trying out something different in Goa as we don’t really have a place that specialises in teas. And what better than a Mad Hatter Tea Party theme!
TG: How long did it take for the whole café to fall into place and how difficult was it?
Not too long actually. From the idea conception to starting the café, it took a total span of six months. I was really lucky to have things fall into place really quickly. I guess once I had the concept in place I was really excited about it and the ideas just kept flowing. A lot of the props have been locally sourced. But then there's equipment from different parts of the country and teas from different locations, some of which are imported.
TG: Did you have any previous experience in the F&B industry?
I ran a restaurant along with two friends for a year while I was in college. And before I started The Madhatter's Tea Café, I ran a small catering business which was a home based
TG: Your tea café still has coffee options though...
Why not? I understand that not everyone is a tea drinker. And I wouldn't want someone to not join the party just because of that.We have so much more to offer than just teas for non-tea drinkers.
TG: Apart from your teas, you've kept most of your menu quite simple.
I have consciously kept the menu very limited to start with. And I am experimenting with different things. We have already introduced a few new items to the menu. I am continuously taking feedback from our guests and adapting to what is preferred and what they would like. I am happy to have so far received a lot of appreciation for my menu. People like that it's light food. It's been just a month since we started and people have kept coming back.
TG: What new additions are in the pipeline?
We have just introduced monsoon specials : Maggi, pakoras and Bhel. And I absolutely love my guests' reaction to seeing Maggi! That's a big hit! After all, who doesn’t love instant noodles especially on rainy days. In addition we have introduced some more breakfasts and mocktails.
TG: Why are themed cafes and restaurants becoming such a popular trend?
The reason behind our theme is because, I want it to be a place people can come to hang out and have fun. Go a little crazy! Join the mad tea party! And having a themed place definitely helps differentiate. It also helps with recall and if targeted at the right audience it will help draw in customers. But it's not enough. Only if a customer enjoys the experience and the food when he visits will he come back again. I believe what matters is the food! People will go anywhere for good food.
