03 December,2022 10:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Sukanya Datta
Café Arpan Express employee Ninaad Salvi (right) notes down orders for a customer at Versova Metro station. Pics/Shadab Khan
Cute, cheerful and quite Christmassy, a bright red counter next to gate number six of Versova Metro station is buzzing way past its 8 pm closing time. One mawa cake to eat, two puffs for takeaway, a nimbu paani to sip on - the orders are flying fast, but Ninaad Salvi, who's noting it all down, is a picture of calm. The specially-abled counter manager, along with an associate, has been manning Café Arpan Express which opened recently. The take-away counter is a new project by the Juhu-based Café Arpan, in a step towards creating employment opportunities for specially-abled persons. Salvi, who learned the ropes at the café for three years, shares that it's his first time managing a whole space. "The response has been good. The demand grows towards the evening rush hour," he tells us.
The vegetarian express outlet is strategically located in front of the Metro check-in gates. It offers sandwiches, hot dogs, puffs, pizzas, soda and iced teas, cookies, brownies and more that are all priced below Rs 100. Most dishes are sourced from the Juhu outlet in the morning, but the duo whip up grilled sandwiches, pizzas, garlic bread and cheese toast on the spot too.
Famished after a long commute, we call for a mawa cake (RS 50), Bombay grill sandwich (RS 60), and peach iced tea (RS 40). Served lukewarm, the mawa cake is moist but fluffy, while the iced tea, although a tad too sweet, is the quencher you need to refuel for extended Mumbai trails. The sandwich takes a while to arrive, but is worth the wait.
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Toasty and wholesome, it's packed with veggie slices. A fan of the café's brownie (R60), we pack a piece for a round of midnight bingeing. Salvi shares, adding that people prefer to grab their orders and carry on. "Since we just opened, commuters usually scan what's on display and order that. Perhaps we'll put up some posters of the pizzas so customers know that's on offer, too," he says.
As we sip on our iced tea, we notice passersby scanning the QR code on the outpost's banner, which leads one to more information on Café Arpan. A pilot initiative by Yash Charitable Trust, the express model might be replicated across other stations. Back home, once we dig into the intensely fudgy brownie, we can't help wanting more - of the cake, and of this slice of inclusivity.
Café Arpan Express
AT Versova Metro station, next to gate number 6
TIME 12 pm to 8 pm (Mondays closed)
LOG ON TO @cafearpan
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