New Delhi: A Delhi-based cafe owner is looking to harness the power of social media to tide over the pandemic-induced business slump.
Taking to Twitter Tuesday, Anchal Bhatia, co-founder of Cafe Dosti, urged people to support her enterprise, an appeal that has since been shared widely and has caught the attention of many.
“I am a proud owner of this cute cafe in Champa Gali, Delhi. But the pandemic has hit the industry so hard that the survival is getting tougher each day. I can vouch for its food quality & exceptional service. Please support by spreading the word Folded hands#smallbusiness #delhi @SonuSood,” tweeted Bhatia.
Bhatia’s tweet went viral with over 12,000 likes and over 4,000 retweets. Several personalities including IAS, IPS officers, journalists and other business owners shared her post.
The cafe also appealed to the people because of its name; its tagline reads: “Where friendship brews”.
R.K. Vij, Additional Director General of Police in Chhattisgarh, shared the tweet and said: “Friendship cafe, lets meet here”.
Friendship cafe. Let us meet here. https://t.co/ltbsWagjxT
— RK Vij (@ipsvijrk) August 25, 2021
Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer Awanish Sharan also urged Delhiites to support the cafe.
‘Delhi walon’ pls support.?? https://t.co/hpTLzJX80z
— Awanish Sharan (@AwanishSharan) August 25, 2021
Entrepreneur and political commentator Tehseen Poonawalla also promised to be at the cafe soon.
Many other social media users also offered support by spreading the word, and promising to explore the cafe, which is situated in Champa Gali, the hub of small and cozy cafes in south Delhi’s Saket.
Will be there …lots of love and dosti…
— Tehseen Poonawalla Official ?? (@tehseenp) August 24, 2021
Retweeting to lend support to an entrepreneur. May Cafe Dosti live long and prosper. https://t.co/eIOsJlZmbV
— HindolSengupta (@HindolSengupta) August 24, 2021
So there’s another cosy nook in Champa Gali. ❤️
Head over to this gorgeous Cafe Dosti.
And if you haven’t been to CG, you’ve now one more reason to, apart from the umpteen already existing. https://t.co/ZX14aZkWZA
— Maze Runner (@maze_awara) August 24, 2021
Also read: Baba ka Dhaba couple’s life has changed since viral video, but it’s not ‘bungalows & cash’
What Bhatia says
Speaking to ThePrint, Bhatia said she is yet to see a response to her appeal as it has been just over 24 hours since she posted the appeal.
“The response on Twitter has been overwhelming, but it is too soon to expect any increased footfall. I am hoping more people will visit us in the coming days,” she said.
Bhatia said the footfall at her cafe fell to 50 per cent of what it was before the pandemic hit.
“Since the pandemic, it has become a real challenge to survive. We have to open on all seven days, whether one guest visits or 10. The purchasing power has gone down, and as a result, the sales have also decreased. But the rent, salaries are 100 per cent,” she added.
Social media support
For small businesses like Bhatia’s, social media has emerged as a valuable tool to spread the word and draw in clientele amid falling sales.
Last year, YouTuber Gaurav Wasan posted a video of a small food stall named Baba Ka Dhaba. The video went viral and resulted in huge crowds for the food joint.
The 80-year-old owner, Kanta Prasad, and his wife Badami Devi received money and support, leading them to open a new restaurant. However, it shut down earlier this year. Prasad and his wife are back to their old stall now.
Wasan posted another video of an 80-year-old woman selling juice in Amritsar recently. People offered support to the woman, who sells juice in the city’s Rani Ka Bagh area.
(Edited by Amit Upadhyaya)
Also read: After Baba Ka Dhaba, people line up at 90-year-old man’s Kanji Bada stall in Agra