A few bars, restaurants and cafes in the city, whose space remains unutilised during the day, have started opening their doors to unconventional activities like dance classes and workouts.
The bustling places are usually peaceful by day; restaurants and bars like 1Q1, The Teal Door Cafe and Social are encouraging people to get out of enclosed fitness studios and have different experiences. From book readings, painting workshops, dance classes and yoga, one can use these unconventional spaces for their favourite activities.
at Pebbles at Palace Grounds.
Ranveer Sabhani, business head - south, Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt Ltd believes that it is inclusive to have activities like these in places people frequent.
“Everybody is looking for alternate spaces as they don’t like being in an enclosed floor of a building. They want to get out and do something new. We used Smoke House Deli in Indiranagar as a workout space for some time. And given the place that Social is, we conduct both dance classes and workout sessions.”
People are also given breakfast packages, where they get pre or post-workout meals. Smoke House Deli and Social also have the option of a-la-carte.
‘1Q1’ in Queens Road, is another place that uses its multi-purpose venue, to conduct workout sessions and yoga.
“We utilise our space to host fun and energetic recreational activities with trained professionals and instructors. Hitting the gym might get monotonous and a session or two in an unconventional space is a good way to rejuvenate,” says Vivek Gunjikar, marketing and events head, 1Q1.
This place conducts dance or workout sessions every alternate week. The sessions usually start at 8 am.
“We conduct pound fitness and yoga sessions and try to get people to try things they haven’t tried before. But we keep it simple and fun,” he says. Pound fitness is a combination of cardio and weight-training exercises that includes some rhythmic techniques.
On average, he sees about 25 people between the age of 23 to 40 years turn up for these events. One session can cost up to Rs 1,000, which includes breakfast too.
Sessions at these cafes and bars are usually conducted by trained professionals from different fitness stations and also instructors who are into one-off workout events.
Kavya Peerbhoy, chief officer, &Shine, a morning dance movement that claims to charge up one’s positive energies, along with her other two partners Namrata and Robby, conducts a three-hour session once a month.
spot for yoga and Zumba.
“We move from venue to venue and have conducted sessions in 1Q1, Pebbles at Palace Grounds and Skyye at UB City so far.”
Apart from breaking the monotonous gym life of a fitness enthusiast, these sessions also give a different perspective of the ‘frequently-visited’ place.
“When an activity designated to the four walls of a studio is taken into a different space, the energy around is completely transformed. It becomes an immersive and unique experience. I think it is pretty smart that cafes and bars are doing this, they are using the ‘dead-time’ of the place and giving it a different perspective,” says Kavya.
They conduct sessions on Saturdays and Sundays with a 45-minute yoga or dancing classes and two hours and 15 minutes of free flow dancing.
The tickets price range from Rs 800 to Rs 1,200.
Akanksha Rathaur, content developer, Project Jatropha, has attended an art workshop in a cafe in HSR a few months ago and has currently joined a ‘bhangra’ dance workshop, organised at ‘The Teal Door Cafe’ in Indiranagar for Rs 200.
The fact that these sessions happen on weekends has made it convenient for people.
“You are not bound to attend a class just because you have paid a lump sum at the beginning of the month already. These sessions are mostly workshops, so it is pocket-friendly. You have to shell out money only for that particular session,” she says.