INDIA. Mumbai: Third Eye Cafe in Navi Mumbai employs mostly transgenders and is known for its appetizing menu. The cafe is run by a team of transgenders who along with working as chefs, also serve the customers.
The current employees of the cafe have come to work from different parts of Maharashtra in order to live a life of solemnity. Leaving behind their own personal stories of flounder and glum, they are finding new bliss in this cafe of hope.
According to the co-founder of the Third Eye Cafe, Nimesh Shetty, the name of the cafe came to him from the concept of showing society their third perspective. ‘Third’ represents the third gender and the ‘eye’ conveys the belief of them having a differing perception than the most part of the society.
Although the third gender is recognized in India, acceptance of the same is not yet felt dwelling in the air of the country.
Mahi, one of the first employees of the Third Eye Cafe has stated her obligation towards the cafe owners. Before the cafe opened in the mid-year of 2017, Mahi begged on the streets of Pune for two years after leaving her house.
“We did a survey in 2016, where 68% of people said that they wanted to see something different and would love to see transgenders doing mainstream jobs,” said Shetty.
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The staff is seen mainly wearing t-shirts of dark color with ‘unmind, unplug, unleash’ inscribed on the back of their wear. In a way, reflecting the untangled notion of the cafe and their being.
The place also hosts several fans’ greets and meets for the singers in the indie scene.
