Conscious Cafe

OWNER OF EARTH CAFE, A POPULAR VEGAN EATERY IN MUMBAI, VIK KHATWANI SPEAKS TO TINA THAKRAR ABOUT ADOPTING VEGANISM TO ACHIEVE A SENSE OF HARMONY IN BUSINESS, FOOD AND LIFE

- TINA THAKRAR

It’s a pleasant afternoon when I walk into the cosy Earth Cafe in Bandra, Mumbai, awash with sunlight and blush pink and ash grey tones. I spot the owner Vik Khatwani behind the counter, and after some warm greetings, we settle down to discuss his journey of setting up one of the leading vegan cafes in the country.

Earth Cafe is every vegan’s (and nonvegan’s) dream. It’s spacious and comfortable, the staff is polite and friendly, the service is prompt, and above all, the food is delectable. It’s only four years old (pandemic included), but made an immediate mark as soon as it opened its doors in 2019, and amassed celebrity patrons like Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, Virat Kohli, Sajid Nadiadwala, Raveena Tandon, Sunny Leone and Neha Bhasin.

Vik Khatwani isn’t a seasoned entrepreneur, but he certainly operates like one. Born and raised in Mumbai, he ran a jewellery manufacturing business for close to 10 years until it was largely able to function without him, and shifted his attention to pursuing a whole new journey in food.

“I spent a few years in the US for research & development for my jewellery business. I had turned vegan in 2014, and at the time, the concept was unheard of in India. But it was picking up rapidly in the US, and I used my time there to gain as much knowledge as I could. I returned to India and set up Earth Cafe in 2019.”