Mumbai restaurant pushes for social change with differently-able staff

Mumbai (Maharashtra): A restaurant in Mumbai has pushed for social change by employing people who are speech and hearing impaired.

The Mirchi and Mime restaurant in Mumbai’s Powai area mainly consists of people with hearing and speech disability who communicate with guests through sign language.

Each item on the menu is paired with sign language images to help customers ask what they want using hand gestures, or sign language.

The restaurant currently has 50 such staff.

The owner of the restaurant is planning to open a chain of restaurants across India to provide employment to at least 500 such people.

“There is a little briefing before the operation gets started in the restaturant. There is a lunch briefing and a dinner briefing. This is done to ensure the smooth running of the restaurant,” said Ranjan, a trainer specialist in sign language and captain of the restaurant.

Prashant, the owner of the restaurant, said he and his partner opened this restaurant inspired by a similar type of restaurant in Canada.

“When I and my partner came back to India, We wanted to do something that not only generates wealth for us, but also for society at large and keeping that in mind, we were looking for a restaurant concept,” Prashant told ANI.

“We saw a video about a similar type of restaurant in Canada and thought that we can do it,” he added.

Prashant said that he met his staff through various NGOs and colleges and persuaded them to work in his restaurant.

Prashant has learnt the sign language also for the smooth functioning of the restaurant. (ANI)