Pledge: to write this post without using words you expect, like “Charming”.
During my trip to Mauritius, I camped extensively in the Paradise Cafe, owned an operated by a former Air Mauritius airline steward, Jeff.
Jeff explained that he’d become tired of flying long stretches standing up and wanted something else in life. As he loved coffee, and knew a thing or two about service, he’d open a cafe. He found a slot on the top floor of the Orchard Center, a small but significant landmark shopping center that sells everything from groceries to saris to Macs. His particular slot was outside a giant South African steakhouse (called the Black Spur – I last went there when I ate meat, approximately 13 years ago).
Bold autumn tones, tall green plants, flat counter, wooden floor, trustworthy Italian espresso machine highly visible in the background… yes this looks about right.
Several promotional articles adorned the wall, and from them I gleaned two simple messages:
1. This was Starbucks tailored to a Mauritian context
2. Jeff had priced his food to be out of the reach of backpack-toting high school kids (having been one of these scruffy kids in the 90s, I could relate to the market he was to split…) As an example, a coffee was Rs 75 ($2.50 – compared to $1.40 at Starbucks San Francisco). Interestingly, espresso-based drinks were a about Rs 80 ($2.60 – cheaper than Starbucks SF).
3. Service was key.
With that in mind, I ordered a coffee and toasted sandwich. I was invited to sit in a sofa that looked like it had been airlifted out of starbucks. Jeff smiled appreciatively from the counter, while his wait staff got busy slicing tomatoes for the sandwich.
The sandwich was crunchy, thin, cheesy and just small enough to get you wanting more but not asking for more. About 200 calories, all told, with lots of lycopene, smidgen of fat and enough umami to make the coffee taste even better.
Here’s why I think it was worth it:
1. Miniature jug of HOT milk (I didn’t even ask for a white coffee)
2. Coffee served in a porcelain mug. Only one size, no such thing as a “venti” here. No to go cups here.
3. Service with a smile (see below!)
4. They took my US Amex card (though I found out later that I paid Amex as much as I did for the coffee in convenience charges!)
I’d call Mauritius a present-oriented society. Life moves a lot slower. Coffee is an experience, not a drug. A smile is part of that experience. A line in front of a counter doesn’t make a comfortable experience. But an ex-air steward with a story to tell, and a team of three lovely colleagues that want you to sit down on their territory is an experience.
I took my Mom, sister and my friends Jennifer and Emma there too.
I’ll be back in Paradise soon.
Alam Kasenally was born in London and began travel writing at age 5. His first essay, “Why I want to live in America” was written on a jagged scrap of paper and described his enchantment by the World’s biggest cars and “buildings that touched the sky”. He has since lived in Mauritius, France and Hong Kong and has finally achieved his life-long dream of living in the San Francisco Bay Area. His passions include kids, improv, flying, swimming, the quest for the perfect pain au chocolat and writing. In his spare time, he’s an entrepreneur, working on bringing technology to education.
