Goa’s new cafe focuses on the local community instead of being another tourist spot

With an emphasis on working with local producers and involving the community, Hello Sunshine in Anjuna stands out in a sea of eateries

Beneath the cooling shade of a majestic mango tree, Atiya Rakyan darts about, tending to guests on the terrace of her newly opened culinary establishment, Hello Sunshine. This idyllic Anjuna location is flanked by the renowned Babka–purveyor of scrumptious eclairs and cakes–and a discreetly placed Italian eatery whose quality is known only to the initiated (IYKYK).

Amidst Goa’s gastronomical scene, particularly in the vibrant Assagao region–once famed as the ‘Valley of Flowers’–new dining establishments sprout with almost monotonous regularity. This reality does not deter Rakyan and her co-founder Aliya Rashid, for their vision is to create a friendly, neighbourhood eatery where patrons are welcomed to feel like valued members of a community, and where they can find a sense of belonging as part of the establishment's growth story.

Carving a niche

Serving exclusively breakfast, brunch and lunch, the cafe's aspirations are lofty indeed. Despite this, the menu remains uncomplicated and predominantly vegetarian (with a notable reliance on eggs). As locals, the founders had an innate understanding of the existing market and meticulously studied their competitors and their respective menus. It was in this fashion that they identified the niche of breakfast, brunch and lunch offerings, an area that could be enriched with more diverse options. Notably enough, their Turkish eggs and falafel wraps have proved to be particularly popular amongst guests, with one group even pre-ordering the latter to expedite their enjoyment without unnecessary delays. Other healthy and equally scrumptious options include crepes with honey and cinnamon, smoothie bowls, chia puddings and halloumi tacos. The avocado toasts are served with bread freshly baked in-house. The menu features plenty of options for boozy brunches, too.

Although the hospitality sector in Goa is already cluttered, Rakyan and Rashid chose to open their space in a central and accessible location that caters to the locals. "Hello Sunshine is your no-frills, friendly neighbourhood café serving great food for the community at large," Rakyan emphasises. The café's founders aim to create a space where customers drop in a couple of times a week, making it their go-to café, rather than a one-off visit.

Supporting the local community

The recent evolution in the food industry across Goa and a shift towards sourcing ingredients locally and sustainably, begs the question: why does Goa need another café? At Hello Sunshine, the answer is quite clear. “Almost everything on our menu is sourced locally, and we work closely with vetted vendors to ensure the highest quality ingredients, particularly perishable ones,” says Rakyan."We are not using any single-use plastic in the restaurant, apart from the cling-film used in the kitchen and are in touch with an Indian start-up that’s working on a non-plastic alternative  which we will eventually shift to.” Moreover, as both owners are vegetarians (Rashid has given up red meat and is working her way up to a fully vegetarian diet), they chose to make the restaurant vegetarian to align with their personal beliefs.

Hello Sunshine is committed to supporting the community by working with local vegetable vendors and farmers. In fact, they are even installing a small hydroponic vertical garden on their rooftop—nicknamed “treehouse” by friends, to grow their own herbs. “We have cheese from local cheesemongers in Assagao, and also from some in Pondicherry,” says Rakyan. The coffee is from estates in Chikmagalur and the kombucha is made by two women who grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas. “We are expanding to grow our collaborations to eventually add more food and drink items which showcase the diversity and quality of the products now being made in India.”

For the community-driven café, the response has been positive within a few weeks since the launch. “The joy is seeing customers coming back again and again, week after week, ordering their favourites. While we are going to constantly keep improving and evolving, this growing community of regulars is what drives us, assuring us we are doing something right,” she shares.

The founders are clear on the space Hello Sunshine occupies in Goa—one that doesn’t depend on the major tourist traffic during November to March. “We want to create an all-year-round experience for those who live here and those who frequent Goa on holidays,” says Rakyan. The biggest criteria for the café remains to be a spot for the community—to drop in for a cup of coffee during the day, for creatives to be able to work from the spot, or for a quick breakfast before the day begins.

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