Chhattisgarh’s Millet Café is a big hit

Launched last year in May 2022 in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, the Millet Café is making waves as people in droves are flocking there to enjoy not just healthy but also tasty dishes made from this grain.

Already the daily footfall of customers has gone over 50 on weekdays while on weekends it shoots to 100 and above. Among those who visit the café are not just foodies, bloggers and health-conscious people but also ordinary folks who are intrigued by the dishes served.

The visitors are offered a wide variety of dishes including millet momos, millet cheela and dosa, millet Manchurian, millet pizza, ragi pakoda, ragi papad, ragi roti and kodo biryani.

What is interesting is that within less than 12 months the café has reached a break-even point and has now become a profitable venture.

It was through the efforts of Bhim Singh, the then Collector of Raigarh, this café came into being. Talking to the media he said: “Millets are highly nutritious and highly neglected as their potential benefits remain ignored and overlooked. Thus, an integrated approach with multi-departmental convergence is key for achieving millet promotion.”

Working with an integrated project that seeks to increase the production, procurement and consumption of millets, especially Ragi, this café was conceptualised. The café is owned by Vikas Mahila Kshetra Sangh, a self-help group committed to national urban livelihood mission. The eatery goes beyond providing food as it also enlightens its patrons about the benefits of millets.

To promote the delicacies made of millets, the Café is sharing unique recipes of the food with others in the State and India. Recently, it also served millet dishes at the Vidhan Sabha also.

Rohini Patnaik who runs the Café’s operations observed: “We want to provide healthy food and make sure that it satisfies the taste buds of the customers. With the initial support from the district administration, now our cafe is self-sustainable.”