From the streets of Khayaban-e-Sehar, hails a caffe that’s all about the fairy tale Czech Capital -Prague! A visual treat that transports you to the cobbled streets of Prague, Caffé Praha is well worth the hype!
Whether it’s the famous ‘blacream’ – a black-dye chimney cone with ice cream, the brick-oven pizzas, or the heart-warming hot chocolate, Caffé Praha guarantees to delight both your palate and aesthetics.
It started small – settling in the belly of the LuckyOne Mall and creating buzz through occasional appearances in food festivals like Karachi Eat or the Coke Food Fest.
However, its glorious debut at the Karachi Eat Festival changed everything! The ‘black chimney cones’ became the ‘IT’ thing on social platforms. Praha’s Instagramable tasty food offerings lured in hordes of attendees to their stalls, and it became an instant hit.
Karachi Eat is a yearly food festival. Over its ten-year journey, Karachi Eat has brought together family, friends, and fun under one umbrella.
The event not only proved to be a junction for the crème de la crème of restaurants in the city, but it also became a platform uniting prospective entrepreneurs to initiate their culinary journeys.
That’s not all, folks! We’ve managed to secure an exclusive interview with the owner of Caffé Praha. This is what Hashair J. Ahmedani had to say:
Interview:
1. What was your inspiration behind Praha?
I was inspired during the period of my masters when I visited the city of Prague with my friends. This was a life-changing experience for me. Prague, with its beautiful cobbled roads, scenic beauty, and flavorful foods, including the ever-so-famous sweet chimneys, inspired me to open a Café under its name.
2. The initial phase of running a food business can always be challenging. What challenges did you face with Praha?
Coming from a completely different background, with little context and a hunger to achieve, I had to build the brand bottom-up and introduce a global concept that only existed in the country. Keeping in mind the product and brand’s acceptability, we had to win over new users and teach ourselves a concept that was never tried before in the country.
3. What makes it different from others?
Caffe Praha offers its unique twists on the traditional cuisines we are accustomed to. We are the first and perhaps only café offering savory chimneys, which is a unique concept on its own.
4. How did you end up being associated with Karachi Eat in the first place?
With the burning desire to succeed and challenge myself with major catering to the broader market, it was a daring approach. With little to no experience handling hordes of customers, I aged a lifetime over the weekend. It taught me a great deal compared to years spent understanding simple challenges. It allowed me to test my product, improve myself and the brand and boldly step forward with three standalone outlets in Karachi.
5. The tenth edition of Karachi Eat starts on the 6th of January, 2023. What plans, if any, do you have for the event?
I would love to visit and see many more emerging brands in the country, living up to their hype and growing themselves, along with the culinary industry of Pakistan.
6. What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to establish themselves in the restaurant business?
There is a vast market ready to be tapped. The potential of the Pakistani audience hasn’t even scratched the surface and it is the right time to take that daring step of trying your skill in the culinary world. You will have many learnings, meet many people, and most importantly, if this is your passion, you will love this experience if you give it your all.
Final Word:
Caffe Praha has managed to make it’s delicious food look so good that it is considered to be one of the most Instagramable eateries in Karachi. It has upheld Karachi Eat’s hype of offering more than just a casual dining experience, allowing you an escape to the cobbled streets and fairytale city of Prague.
