Restaurant Run By Transgenders In Coimbatore Becomes So Successful That Another One Is Opening Soon

We can all agree on one thing that irrespective of our age, gender, caste or creed, all we desire is to be truly independent and respected. And that’s the same for the transgender community in our country. In the first of its kind, a group of ten transgenders opened their own restaurant named ‘Covai Trans-Kitchen’ in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to regain their financial independence and live a life of dignity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Situated in the RS Puram area, this 32-seater restaurant is well known for its delicious biryani. Despite opening amid the pandemic, ‘Covai Trans-Kitchen’ witnessed tremendous success and will open its second outlet within months of opening the first.

Coimbatore Has A Restaurant Run Entirely By The Transgender Community

A group of ten transwomen opened their own restaurant named ‘Covai Trans-Kitchen in Coimbatore amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The trans-women,  proficient at making dum biryani lost their catering business due to the pandemic. But that didn’t deter them from reclaiming their livelihood and standing on their own feet. They made good use of the lockdown period to hone their cooking skills. With the support of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), they finally launched their own 32-seater restaurant in the RS Puram area.

Also Read: Noida Metro Station Renamed To Honour Transgender Community

The Covai Trans Kitchen Opened Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic To Provide Livelihood To Transwomen

Chief of Coimbatore Transgenders Association, Sangeetha stated to ANI  that they plan to open another eatery. She expressed to the news agency that its important for people of their community to stop begging and become self-reliant instead. Sangeetha also told The Indian Express “Catering is our primary business. But due to Covid-19, many of the restaurants where our community members were working had been closed. They were jobless. So, we thought we should open a small kitchen that would beneficial to everyone. Through the Transgender Association of Coimbatore, ten of our members have joined here. The kitchen is run entirely by them right from preparing the food to packaging and delivery.” Sangeetha runs her own canteen nearby for more than 15 years.

Transwomen Initially Faced Challenges When Nobody Wanted To Rent A Restaurant Space To Them

The group of trans-women faced one of their biggest challenges when they had to rent a space for the restaurant. Unfortunately, people weren’t willing to rent the space to them. Probably the first of its kind trans-kitchen run entirely by the community, people raised eyebrows and remained apprehensive of its smooth functioning. However, with the help of a lawyer, the group managed to find a spot for the ‘Covai Trans-Kitchen’ on the Venkataswamy Road, RS Puram, Coimbatore.

Also Read: 11 Everyday People Who Stepped Up To Help Others During Pandemic

Covai Trans-Kitchen Sells Upto 15 Kg Biryani Daily; Will Reopen Another Restaurant

This group of self-reliant ten transwomen solely handle every aspect related to the restaurant. They cook, take orders, serve customers and even carry out the billing. They also underwent a 20-day training programme for free of cost by a city college. It helped the transwomen learn new recipes. Sangeetha told The Indian Express that the public and local media were very kind to them.

So, with the help of the media, they attracted more customers. They currently even receive bulk orders. And sell up to 15 kg of biryani on a daily basis. The Covia Trans-Kitchen currently witnesses immense success. The team also plans to open a second unit soon if this business continues to provide good profits. With the second outlet, they can provide more job opportunities to their community members. If you find this story inspirational, then watch this video to know supermom Rajni’s story.