Sanofe Cafe at Bambolim

The Covid-19 pandemic wrecked havoc all across the world when it first reached its peak in March 2020. Thousands of people in different parts of the world lost their jobs and many companies and enterprises closed down. This huge scarcity of jobs prompted many people all over the world, including Goa to start their own businesses. One of these many businesses that was born during the pandemic was Sanofe Cafe at Bambolim.

The cafe was founded in 2021 by Shania Fernandes, a young hospitality student who had just completed her BBA in Hospitality, Travel and Tourism in 2020. Fresh out of college and faced with a lack of job opportunities prompted Shania to turn her childhood passion of baking into a full fledged business.

In a brief chat with Its Goa, Shania shed more light on the journey of her cafe, the popular food items that it offers, her future plans and much more… .

Where is Sanofe Cafe located? Sanofe Cafe is located at Alto-Santa Cruz. It is just a short 15 minute walk from Goa Medical College, Bambolim.

Tell us a little bit about your cafe. When did it start, what kind of food items does it offer, etc. I actually started Sanofé in 2015 from home. I used to sell only cakes back then. We opened our cafe on 16th October 2021. The cafe now sells burgers, sandwiches, pastries, continental comfort food and a wide variety of beverages.

What prompted you to start this cafe? What did you have in mind when you decided to start the cafe?

As a hospitality student and home baker, my goal was to eventually have my own cafe someday. After perfecting my skills and polishing my knowledge, I started Sanofé Cafe. Also, my dad runs an IT firm called Equinox India enterprises which has been running for more than 22 years now. Despite having his own business, he always had a dream to get into the food industry and start his own food business because of his love and passion for cooking. He handles the cafe as well as his IT business simultaneously.

Give us a brief overview of all the members on the team at Sanofe Cafe. My team consists of 9 members, excluding my father and myself. My father oversees the hot kitchen while I manage the bakery.

What is Sanofe Cafe famous for? What makes you stand out from your competition? What are your USPs and strengths?

Sanofé Cafe is known for its burgers (we bake our own buns in-house), desserts, customised cakes, Eclairs and super soft doughnuts. We are our own competition and always believe in quality.

What segment of people comprise your major customers?

Doctors and students from Goa Medical College comprise a major chunk of our customers.

What are your most popular food offerings? Burgers, milkshakes and pastries.

Apart from snacks and drinks, what else does your cafe offer? Do you have events and live music at the cafe?

No, we don't host live events as the area of the cafe is currently a little small for the same.

What was the biggest challenge when starting this venture? And how did you overcome it? The two biggest challenges which I faced were opening the cafe during the Covid-19 pandemic and hiring well qualified staff.

However, since we opened during the peak tourist season in October, we managed to get off to a great start.

Hiring and finding suitable candidates was and still is a challenge, but thankfully I have the best team which we were able to find through word of mouth as well as social media.

Can you share a piece of nostalgia/story related to your cafe that nobody knows about? A little story behind the brand name “Sanofe” since many people ask about it. It was chosen by my father. It is simply a combination of my family initials along with “Fe”, which means faith in Portuguese.

What role have your family and friends played in running this cafe?

My family has played a very big role in my venture. My dad manages the continental food of the cafe. My mom handles the accounts and my sister serves as my premium goods supplier since she lives abroad! They motivate me every single day and push me forward, ensuring that the quality of the food and service is maintained consistently. My family members and friends have always stood by me and still do so till this very day. Without them, it would have been a rollercoaster ride that nobody could have ever thought of.

What was people's feedback like when the venture just started?

We’re just 7 months old and the cafe has been doing quite well so far. Mistakes were made initially and we learnt a lot from them. People love the ambience we provide. It's cozy and warm and perfect in the evening on our deck (open air seating).

What are your plans for the next few years? Do you plan to open more outlets in other parts of Goa?

The plan is to focus on only one outlet for now since quality is very important to us. We have plans on expanding with respect to area and seating and also adding some new dishes and variety on our current menu.

What thought would you like to leave our readers with?

“Drop by and get a feel of what the outdoor seating feels like with a cup of great coffee and a few eclairs or some scrumptious burgers with fries!”