Serving a ‘cup’ of hope: Acid attack survivors open new ‘she’-roes café near Qutub Minar

Tucked near Mehrauli's Qutub Minar, a little beyond the bustle of Sultanpur, a new café has opened — and it’s unlike any other.

- Ridhima Gupta

Survivors working at the Sheroes Cafe.

(SANCHIT KHANNA/HT PHOTO)

The recently launched Sheroes Café, the latest addition to the chain in Delhi, is runentirely by women who have survived acid attacks and severe burn injuries. Here, managers, servers and team leads aren't just running a café; they're reclaiming their lives, with their faces held high.

Hailing from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, 29-year-old Roopa stands at the entrance greeting customers with a smile she once hid. “Imagine a girl who covered her face even while eating... [did that for five years,” she says. “But today I'm standing tall, welcoming customers into my café.”