Bombay To Barcelona, a popular café in Marol, Andheri (East), was sealed on Monday because the property was put up as collateral for a loan, the payments for which had been defaulted. Amin Sheikh, who owns and runs the café, was renting the space from the owner.
Mr. Sheikh was stunned when bank officials turned up with the police at 2.55 p.m. and proceeded to seal the place.
“We were told to vacate the premises within 10 minutes. We begged them to give us at least an hour so that we could take the food out. But they refused and sealed the place within 10 minutes,” he said.
Mr. Sheikh said three refrigerators full of food worth at least ₹40,000 were in the café and with the electricity cut off, it will go waste. “We are planning to meet the bank officials along with the owner of the property on Tuesday. I don’t believe in fighting and I care deeply about the café. We hope to find a commercial property owner who connects with our cause and is willing to work with us so we never face a situation like this again,” he said.
The café was started by Mr. Sheikh in 2016 as a way to help street children follow their dreams. Over the years, it has become popular for its food and hospitality. The café is run by nine former street children and the earnings go towards their food, house rent, and the various ventures that they may want to undertake.
“It has taken me nine years to build this café. What will my children do now? Where will they go? Is this fair?” Mr. Sheikh said.
Mr. Sheikh used the proceeds of his autobiography Life is Life, I Am Because of You to set up the café. Once a street child, Mr. Sheikh discovered library cafés during a visit to Barcelona and wanted to open one in Mumbai.