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Shop, eat and leave

A clutch of lifestyle stores will soon be armed with exclusive cafés

SHOPPERS DELIGHT This new concept promises to be appetising for everyone

Tastefully doing up your home with the right furnishings and artefacts calls for a certain amount of shopping. Ask those who've been there and done that and they'll vouch for that. But while you are checking out a few stores, how about relaxing over a hot cup of organic coffee or tea? A clutch of stores in Chennai and Bangalore have thrown open cafés for some value addition. And Hyderabad is now warming up to the concept.

For starters, these cosy stores — which sell furnishings and designer apparels made from natural fabrics and dyes, jewellery or artefacts — are not located in commercial areas. They are located mostly in idyllic bungalows and the USP: tranquil shopping and dining experience. The finger foods and brews available compliment the `natural' products. These stores don't expect you to collect your bags and make an exit once your shopping is done. You can use their chill out zone and indulge in some coffee and conversations, minus the loud music that's hand in glove with cafés.

In Hyderabad, stores like Earth Bazaar, Soma Shop and The Next Shop plan to start such cafés. The vegetarian restaurant Little Italy has already sparked curiosity with its boutique. "The restaurant has been set up in a bungalow, which gives us ample space. Hence we thought of a boutique that has apparels and designer jewellery," says the owner, Vinita Parsary. The jewellery line includes exquisite pieces designed by film-maker Akbar Khan's wife Maria Khan.

Organic brews

The next store to unveil its café later this month will be Earth Bazaar. Again, it's a store tucked away in Padmalaya Studios away from the hustle and bustle. Says film producer Manjula who has conceptualised the store, "When other cities can master the shop and dine concept, why not we? The idea is to make customers chill out. So as you shop for scented candles, lamps and aroma oils, you can treat yourself to organic coffees and teas. The coffee beans will be freshly ground and the brew is prepared to suit individual tastes. Cakes, cookies and lemonade apart, plans are on to introduce salads and pastas."

The Next Shop and Soma Shop, which have a chain of stores in other cities, also plan to begin their cafés in the coming month. Anokhi, which has stores in Jaipur and Chennai, will also have its new address in Hyderabad soon.

So get set to shop for those incense sticks from Auroville and block printed furnishings from Rajasthan, and also tuck in sinfully delicious goodies. Being away from the crowded malls and having ample parking space might offer some solace.

SANGEETHA DEVI. K

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