Jamshedpur, Nov. 20: Ring out the golden bells to call the staff, show off your muscles for ordering a strong tea, adjust the size of your fingers to show the size of your cup and make a shape of house with both your palms for a take away order. Easy and interesting, right?
Upon entering the La Gravitea outlet in Circuit House, Jamshedpur, it seems like just another tea house, but it takes a while to notice that it is a operated by hearing and speech impaired women employees.
“It is just like playing Dumb Charades. Placing my order in different ways is fun. What I feel when I am here is something I cannot explain in words. The vibes are so positive and the staff always smiles at you with warmth that it holds a special place in my heart”, says Ajitabh Bose, writer and a frequent visitor to the outlet.
The menu with over 100 tea shades not only caters to the taste buds but also speaks a language that people won’t hear at every tea shop in the country.
The cafe holds in its kitty seven differently-abled staff, of whom few are Olympians and medal holders. Guruveer kaur is a 2015 Gold medallist in Badminton at the Special Olympics, while Suggi is a National Athlete and has won several accolades. Despite their accomplishments in the field of sports, these women were previously unemployed and were on hunt for a job.
“This tea Lounge is an attempt to defy all odds and stereotypes”, says Avinash Duggar, the owner of the cafeteria while summing up the motto of the restaurant in one line.
