The Future Is Female (TFIF) is a new entrant to the ever growing list of unique restaurants in Delhi. So what sets TFIF apart? It is Delhi’s first-of-its-kind all-women run restaurant with an all women staff—chefs, bartenders and servers.
Nestled in West Delhi’s Rajouri Garden, the one-and-half month old café is a perfect destination for women to have an evening to themselves. The multi-cuisine café’s menu features dishes spanning North Indian, Continental and Chinese fares to suit all palates. They also have an in-house bakery.
Harjas Kaur Arneja and Archie Singh, co-founders of TFIF spoke to Guardian 20 about how they always wanted to do something to empower women by providing them with a platform to showcase their skills and earn a living from it.
The owners were driven by a vision of empowering women in the restaurant space. Arneja said, “Women are present in all industries, but are still considered less efficient in the restaurant sector. So the idea was to make them capable enough to run a café and bar. TFIF is powered by women in all aspects—from the oven in the kitchen to the people serving you your drinks. There is a need for such initiatives and it is our belief that we cannot all succeed if half of us are held back.”
TFIF has taken specific measures to create a safe, healthy and fun environment for their customers. They have also made efforts to do the same for their staff. In addition to ensuring fair pay and a safe working environment, they offer drop facilities to their employees.
On this venture, the co-founders said, “We wanted to do something that would make women financially independent.”
Regarding the response they’ve been getting, Singh said, “So far so good. People are appreciating our effort and have really good things to say about the trend we are trying to set in.”
Coming to the interiors of the restaurant, one finds earthy hues and an elegant setup upon entering the venue. The décor is flora-inspired and incorporates a lot of plants. The ambience is very warm and welcoming. The bar is vibrant and adds class to the venue. TFIF also hosts live music shows to give their customers an overall amazing experience.
Maya Morgan, a bartender at TFIF, told us about being a part of an all-female workforce. “It definitely feels good. Women empowering other women is something we really need today. I am glad to see this happening for real and I am thrilled to be a part of it. The positive vibes that we get from our founders and colleagues keep us going”, she says.
TFIF’s extensive menu is a mix of classic, inovative and fusion dishes. It ranges from snacks to healthy bites, appetisers to main-course, and dessert. To start with, they offer Khumani Tikki Chaat, Thai Chicken Dimsum, Exotic Veg Bao, Lo-Cal Quinoa Salad, Asian Mushroom Cups, and Jwala Macchi which are some of the great options. For a quick bite, they’ve got the regular staples, such as sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, tacos and pastas. In maincourse, there’s Mushroom, Broccoli and Bok Choy in Oyster sauce, Lamb Shanks served with Butter Garlic Rice, Prawn Teen Mirchi, and Chicken Biryani among many others.
Singh, who is also a chef, spoke to us about joining the restaurant: “I was surprised that we could actually come up with a concept like this which I feel is very much needed in today’s time. No second thoughts, no questions asked, I decided to join. So we did a market study before curating the menu and basically there’s something for everybody to enjoy. Now when I think about my decision, it feels amazing. I feel proud to be associated with a café that runs for a cause, i.e. to empower women.”
The stars from the kitchen include the Bhuna Gosht Tacos, Laal Maas Burger, Butter Chicken Lasagna, Paneer Tikka Pizza, and Dum Spaghetti Bolognese. To satisfy your sweet-tooth cravings, they have Gluten-free Brownie, No-bake Cheesecake, Pineapple Upside Down, Tiramisu, Mousse and Waffle.
Talking about their future plans, Singh said, “We have recently launched a ‘SheCan’ campaign, wherein 10% of our sales from the to-be introduced merchandise section will be donated to a women-centric NGO that we have collaborated with. We will also be coming up with a nail boutique under the same name. All this is in line with our efforts to empower women.”