Opening soon! State-run Magizh cafes coming to 10 parks across Chennai

CHENNAI: Offering nourishing food choices to citizens, the Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women (TNCDW), under the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department, will open ‘Magizh café’ in ten major parks, including the Anna Tower, Natesan, Gill Nagar and Murasoli Maran parks, and one in the State secretariat by May-end.

The initiative is considered as an inspiration from the 'millet café' concept introduced in 2024 in the districts. Besides Chennai, Magizh café will come up in all districts and will be managed by women from self-help groups (SHGs).

The cafes will provide the public with millet-based value-added products and cooked snacks made of pulses and nuts, thereby promoting nutritious food choices. The menu is standardised.

The main idea of this initiative is to enhance the business skills of SHG members.

"The SGHs will take care of the operations with funding support from TNCDW, which will continuously monitor them until the business picks pace," said Shreya P Singh, MD, TNCDW.

"Thirty workers have already received training in customer service and to handle POS (Point of Sale) machines. Each café will have three SHG women running the show. A special training was conducted for them in preparation and serving of food and the maintenance of the cafes," Singh said.

TNCDW has plans to open Magizh cafes in five more locations in Chennai, including one offering table service in Adyar Park, she revealed.

"The Chennai Corporation has permitted to set up café kiosks in ten parks while their operations and funding are done by the TNCDW," said GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurabaran.