Sneha Rano Bhandare shares how organic growth, community goodwill, and culinary innovation built her brand, Cafe Chai Coffee
If someone had told Sneha Rano Bhandare in March 2020 that a few years later she would be running a 120-seater restaurant, expanding an Asian QSR brand, and planning her next chapter in hospitality, she probably would have laughed. Businesses across the country were shutting down, lockdowns were being announced, and starting a new venture was the last thing on her mind.
Yet, that extraordinary period marked the unlikely birth of Café Chai Coffee; a venture born not from a corporate business plan, but from community service, passion, and an unwavering desire for purpose.
When the nationwide lockdown was declared in late March 2020, Goa was left with thousands of stranded tourists and migrant workers. Sneha and her husband, Raj Bhandare, initially planned to distribute dry ration kits.
However, local authorities pointed out a more immediate need, “Please don’t give them grain. What they really need is cooked food.”
With a large property and resident staff, Sneha and Raj pivoted immediately. Throughout April 2020, their days revolved around a new routine: preparing fresh, simple lunches; rice, dal, pickle, or improvised besan curries, for 60 to 70 people daily. The Vasco municipal corporation collected the vessels at noon to feed those in need. Later, they added dinner runs for 30 to 40 people around GMC Hospital.
By early May, as stranded individuals returned home, the daily cooking drives came to an end. But for Sneha, the end of seva left an unexpected void.
“I have always been someone who needs definition to my day,” Sneha recalls. “During a frightening and uncertain lockdown, cooking for people had given me a purpose; it was immensely soul-satisfying.”
To fill that void, she turned to an old passion – baking.
Sneha began baking cakes for friends and neighbors, rooted firmly in the Sikh values of langar and feeding others. Refusing to take money for home-cooked food, she hit a dilemma when her neighbors insisted on paying for an anniversary cake.
To bridge the gap, Sneha connected with Chef Schubert Pinto; a talented local pastry chef who had lost his job due to the pandemic. Chef Schubert finished and dressed the cake, allowing Sneha to accept payment knowing it provided earning opportunities for a displaced professional.
She posted a picture of the cake on Facebook, and orders immediately began to pour in.
As demand grew, Chef Schubert suggested adding donuts and pizzas. With only a home oven that accommodated two pizzas at a time, necessity sparked innovation: they began making folded pizzas – Calzones, with various fillings. They became an instant hit.
When it came time to brand this fast-growing home kitchen, Sneha avoided using her own name. Instead, a spontaneous idea surfaced -Café Chai Coffee.
Despite the early traction, turning it into a commercial restaurant during a pandemic felt risky. However, Sneha’s parents, Satnam Singh Bajwa and Surinder Kaur Bajwa, saw her passion and provided her first startup capital.
With new professional ovens, planetary mixers, and a divided hot-and-cold kitchen, Café Chai Coffee officially launched as a takeaway kitchen.
When customers came to collect their orders, they were captivated by the
lush, forest-like property adjoining Sneha’s home and kept suggesting, “This is such a beautiful place. Why don’t you put a few chairs here?”
Sneha and Raj decided to experiment. They set up just four tables in the garden, intending to open briefly from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
The community had other plans. Customers began arriving early in the morning asking for coffee.
Opening hours shifted earlier, staff expanded, four tables proved insufficient, and the menu quickly grew to include pastas, burgers, and sandwiches.
Even as the café took off, Sneha viewed it as a temporary chapter that would end post-pandemic. But when the second wave of COVID-19 hit India in 2021, the venture found its core identity once again.
With a fully functioning kitchen and an expanded team, Café Chai Coffee announced free food deliveries for COVID-positive individuals and isolated families. The kitchen continuously cooked and distributed fresh khichdi to anyone who called.
The first wave gave birth to Café Chai Coffee through seva; during the second wave, the café was able to give that seva back to the community.
Evolution into a Culinary Destination
As operations expanded, Sneha brought on Chef Sudipto Ray Chaudhry (a Kolkata-based executive chef) to formalize the culinary operations. Chef Sudipto arrived in Goa with a team of chefs to develop a comprehensive restaurant menu.
By March 2021, driven by her love for Asian cuisine, Sneha launched a sister brand: Baowich; a playful concept centered on Asian-filled bao buns.
Baowich grew to operate at Mopa Airport for over three years as a QSR model and continues to serve as the brand’s primary Oriental offering.
By late 2022, customer demand led to the addition of a full-service bar, transforming Café Chai Coffee into a complete dining and nightlife space.
Today, Café Chai Coffee stands as a 120-seater all-day dining destination offering:
Diverse Cuisine: Continental favorites, tandoor, Indian classics, and Asian dishes via Baowich.
Event Spaces: A versatile banquet area hosting 80 to 100 guests for PechaKucha events, dance workshops, and private celebrations.
Cultural Experiences: Dine with Sneha, an intimate culinary initiative where international travelers learn Goan cooking, sample local feni, and experience Goan hospitality firsthand.
Looking ahead, the brand continues to adapt. The team is expanding into wellness cuisine, shifting operating hours to an 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM schedule focused on nutritious breakfast bowls, salads, and healthy soups. Beyond dining, Sneha is setting her sights on expanding into boutique accommodations and rooms.
Reflecting on the journey from four garden tables to a multi-faceted hospitality brand, Sneha’s core philosophy remains clear: “I have never started by chasing money. I have started with passion…When something has purpose, passion, and the ability to bring people together, I have learned to follow it.”