Hope in a Cup: First-of-a-kind café managed by LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs opens in Hyderabad

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Special combos at ₹377

The café is open to visitors from 11 am to 11 pm every day. It offers a menu featuring intercontinental dishes  and mocktails, along with special combos priced at ₹377.

The café offers a menu featuring intercontinental dishes  and mocktails, along with special combos priced at ₹377. (Ajay Tomar/South First)

The pricing is symbolic, commemorating the decriminalisation of Article 377 in India on 6 September 2018.

The founding entrepreneurs were selected by Nirmaan after completing a skill development programme.

“Hope in a Cup is a reflection of our long-time aspiration. We wanted to create a place that promotes inclusivity for everyone and not just for the LGBTQIA+ community,” Shinu Sharin, one of the four women entrepreneurs and a Mass Communication graduate told South First.

The other three women, who are Sharin’s business partners are Sumavarsha* and Kamna* — both of whom are MBA graduates — and Krishna*, a software engineer. (* all names changed).

The café workers also plan to organise meet-up events for artists, mothers, and other community members.

“We want it to also be an event-based café. We have already held three events here before the opening, including a drag artist performance. We also plan to start mocktail classes soon,” Sharin said.

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Not just skills, monetisation vital too

Speaking about the idea behind starting the café, Deepthi Sirla, a transgender rights activist and Project Manager at Nirmaan told South First that while most of the non-profits focus merely on skill development of beneficiaries, they were equally concerned about fostering financial empowerment to them.

“With only skill training, the beneficiaries don’t benefit from it and have to shut down their businesses, especially in the case of transgender woman who have to ultimately return to sex work even after their skills are being honed,” she explained.

Deepthi viewed running capital as equally important along with business capital to support a new venture.

“That is why we thought of implementing this idea. The space is currently on rent but after six months, we will hand the ownership to these four women,” she said.

The four women managing the café now look to break-even, where they will cover the investment costs through equal returns. “We hope to cross the break-even mark in three months,” a resolute Sharin said.

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Do-or-die situation

Initially, finding a café that welcomed their queer identity was a challenge.

“Owners were refusing to provide a rented space simply because of the LGBTQIA+ identity,” Deepthi recalled.

Shinu Sharin at the café. (Ajay Tomar/South First)

But this was just a trailer compared to what the four women entrepreneurs underwent before coming out within the LGBTQIA+ community. However, barring Sharin, three of them have still not come out to their families.

“In 2020, we were looking for a change in our professions because of some issues and we were also not getting any support from our family or colleagues,” Sumavarsha, an MBA graduate, told South First.

The mother of three added, “The time came where we had to decide either to hide our identities and never come out or fight with it and then come out and do whatever work we like. So, we chose the later.” It was then that she decided to separate from her husband.

In 2022, both Sharin and Sumavarsha had faced huge professional and financial setbacks, which compelled them to look for new jobs.

“We searched for six months but couldn’t find any. Then, we thought of starting a business but again, we could not, due to lack of funds and support,” Sumavarsha said, adding that they were caught in a do-or-die situation.

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A new hope

Call it luck or destiny, through common friends, they were introduced to Nirmaan’s initiative in June this year.

People at the launch of the café. (Ajay Tomar/South First)

“Both of us immediately applied for it. Along with 15 to 20  other beneficiaries, we were given training by a professional chef who actually taught us how to cook all the continental dishes and other things. Then, there was a mixologist who came, who taught us to mix mocktails and other beverages. Business management, license and other legalities were also taught,” Sumavarsha exclaimed.

Tashi Choedup, a noted transgender Buddhist monastic saw the opening of café as a welcoming step that will act as a catalyst for more LGBTQIA+ spaces.

“It is amazing to see growth of queer-owned, queer-run spaces in Hyderabad. Safe spaces often fall short of being our spaces but this café is our space and it gives hope for more such spaces,” quipped Tashi, who is working to spread awareness about gender identity in India.