Main thing
New cafes in the neighbourhood
Before we upgraded recently, I wanted to shift the cafe to next to Zuru Zuru. The commercial shop is on the road, which gives it more visibility. Once it house famous Rainbow Bakery.
I could not get the shop. Someone else picked it up, at much higher rent. The property dealer shared that it would be a cafe, with the sitting on the first floor. They are still renovating the place. There is a board with the name US Co. When I saw the area on the first floor, it did not seem right. At present comrades order coffee, and take a breather at the community table. Imagine doing the same after climbing the steep staircase. Though, the view from there is more beautiful, as it faces Asian Games Village. The current tenant of the shop also runs Remy’s Pizza, Shibuya and La Marinate Catering. Should I worry?
New cafes
There are more new cafes/ restaurants in the vicinity: Cafe Q9 and Cala are in Panchsheel, while Hugo Trattoria is in Hauz Khas. Cafe Q9 has an expansive menu, offering everything from pasta, toasts, sandwiches and desserts. Cala is an upmarket Italian kitchen, which serves artisanal pasta, pizza and Italian snacks. Hugo Trattoria draws its lineage from Cafe Dali, which has manifested to become a Michelin starred restaurant by 2025.
To worry or not to
Navika, my friend and the co-owner of Zuru Zuru asked if it worries me. I won’t lie. At first I did. What if they priced their menu items lower than Shack’s? What if they offer Japanese, Italian and Pan Indian food items from their kitchens? What if they put a sexier signboard? What if their decor is modern, shiny and more appealing?
The main thing
But, then I remembered a quote by Steven Covey. He said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Marketing calls it core competency. Remember how Steve Jobs killed 70% of Apple Products, to focus on just four. Roku beat Apple and Amazon as the largest single streaming provider. Mahadevi Gajjak only manufactures it during winters.
As long as I focus on the small menu of 10 items, I do not have to worry. The only thing I should worry is to make the coffee, sandwiches, and toasts more delicious every day. The other day, band members of the rock band Salt Rock ordered Chicken Panini twice. They paired it with the Iced Lattes. It reminded me to focus on few things.
So, all is well
In the past two weeks, I met few cool bootstrappers. I am sharing a line about each. If you please, you can say hi to them, when you meet at Shack or follow them online.
Palak runs Airbnb in Varanasi.
Yashika runs a fashion store in Goa.
Adam and Carlyle are opening a cafe in Lucknow.
Sameer is the host of Rambo circus.
Tania teaches pole dancing.
Priya makes cream cheese.
Arwa runs a creative space in Hawaii.
Radhika runs Kuninda.
What’s next
