Along the road of St. Inez lays a little restaurant serving snacks for the people’s delight. This homely place is ‘The Waffle Monk’. Born in the city of Panjim the place has won many hearts around the city with their delicious waffles and crepes.
Sayanakar brothers (Saurabh and Girish) from Mapusa nurture the place with immense care and attention. ‘The Waffle Monk’ aims at bringing a smile to the customer’s face. The brothers call the customers their ‘friends’. The backbone of ‘The Waffle Monk’ runs on the principal of amusing Goans with fancy snacks from the foreign countries. Saurabh says that satisfying people is the first priority than gaining business.
Saurabh has been working as an investment banker for the past eight years while Girish is working on his thesis for a PhD. in Gastronomy from a University in the UK. During his journey, Saurabh discovered how ecstatic food enraptures people. Thus, the Sayanakar brothers decided to tap into this niche market.
Instead of running the store at beachside areas, Saurabh was ardent about creating a unique business as a cosy corner for all Goans. In the course of time, many restaurants have been developed in the coastal areas. Those places mainly cater towards the tourist crowd. The rates are expensive making it difficult for most locals to afford the food. Thus, The Waffle Monk – a beautiful eatery was established, where every person can buy a lip-smacking snack.
The adorable petite food joint is owned and managed by the brothers themselves. The two prepare fresh batter at dawn and then open the shop by 11 am to serve customers. The waffles, crepes, shakes and breakfast items are all cooked and served by them. After a successful month of service the brothers celebrated their one-month achievement of the business, and of course, topped it with a waffle cake.
A number of people living in Goa hardly know the food item- waffle or crepe. Whereas some know they exist but missed the opportunity for a taste with the high rates. The Waffle Monk provides people with exotic food at a lesser price. It has attracted customers who enjoy having a bite and then secretly signal to one another “Mmmm” i.e. the treat is yummy.
Sayanakars have introduced the concept of ‘Make Your Own Waffle’ where one can choose a flavoured base and with suitable toppings. They also serve a wide range of shakes like – Oreo, Chocolate, Mango, Strawberry, Kit Kat, Berry Blast and Choco Frappe. Their breakfast items include Eggs with Sausages, Omelettes and some cheesy or tangy toppings. The crepes have different flavours every week, for instance; one week they stuff it with Chicken in Peri Peri sauce and the next week is another mouth bursting experience.
Saurabh narrates an incident he came across: Initially at the beginning when The Waffle Monk was established, Saurabh watched young children pass by, who belonged to the less affluent class. One day he called them in and asked, “You like sweets?” Shy but excited, they replied “Yes”! He again asked if they ate eggs and they fondly replied with a sparkle in their eyes – “Yes”. Immediately Saurabh served them some tasty waffles. Nothing else makes his day but the big smile on the customers face.
The secret behind this place is the adaption of a friendly relationship with every customer. Today, ‘The Waffle Monk’ goes on to favour its customers as a homely polestar.