Gov praises Lansdowne cafe couple’s community venture

By Arun Pratap SinghGarhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 May: Amit and Shipra Mohan, the couple behind the popular community-based cafe in Lansdowne, were invited to meet Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) during his recent official visit to the hill station. It was an interaction the couple described as a deeply encouraging and memorable experience. During the interaction, the governor praised the couple and the ventures run by them in Uttarakhand.
It may be recalled that Governor Gurmit Singh was on a two day trip to Lansdowne which concluded yesterday, during the course of which, he had a busy schedule and several engagements.
The couple are childhood friends who later became a couple, left behind successful corporate careers in Delhi to build a unique café venture in Lansdowne. Speaking to my uttarakhand news they shared that they had sent an invitation to the Governor hoping he would visit their café despite his packed two-day schedule. Amit earlier worked as an investment banker with HDFC Bank, while Shipra was associated with Outlook India as an advertising professional. The two shifted to Lansdowne over a decade ago and gradually built their cafe into one of the town’s well-known destinations, employing and training local villagers under a community-based model. The cafe is now a well-known destination for the tourists visiting Lansdowne.
According to the couple, they did not receive any response from the Governor’s office initially and assumed that he would not be able to visit due to his official engagements. However, yesterday morning, they received a call from the Governor’s office requesting them to reach the Parade Ground at 10.30 a.m. to meet him before his departure from Lansdowne.
Amit and Shipra Mohan were escorted to the Parade Ground and were informed that the Governor would meet them after the Guard of Honour ceremony at the helipad. Recalling the interaction, they said the Governor greeted them warmly and apologised for not being able to visit their cafe during this trip, while promising to visit with his wife during a future visit.
During the meeting, the Governor enquired in detail about their work, background and the concept behind the cafe. The couple informed him that their cafe has been functioning for nearly 14 years on a community-based concept in which local villagers are trained and employed. They said the Governor appreciated the initiative and introduced them to Pauri District Magistrate Swati S Bhadauria, asking her to interact with them regarding their work.
Amit and Shipra praised the Governor for his encouraging nature and said his interaction reflected his ability to make people feel comfortable and motivated. As a token of appreciation, the couple presented framed portraits of the Maharaja of Patiala and Maharaja of Kapurthala to the Governor. They shared with my uttarakhand news that the Governor was delighted with the gift and informed them that he was an alumnus of Sainik School, Kapurthala. Official photographs were also taken during the meeting.
Amit and Shipra said the Governor’s gesture of taking time out from his busy and shortened schedule to meet them was a major encouragement for entrepreneurs working in remote hill regions. They now hope that the governor along with his wife would soon be able to visit their café.
It may be recalled that the couple’s cafe ‘Lansdowne Trip Travel Cafe, which started from a small venture at Devikhal in 2013 before shifting to Lansdowne in 2017, has gained popularity among tourists, army personnel and nature lovers. Known for its vintage decor and sustainable practices, the cafe has also received Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award for nine consecutive years. They are currently also working on another project of running a wildlife lodge at Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve.