Eight underprivileged women chosen by the Seva Sadan Society, a refuge for destitute women, work at Tea Villa Cafe. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Till about three months ago, 18-year-old Payal Suresh Raut's interaction with patrons at Aahar, non-profit Seva Sadan Society's no frills cafeteria at Nana Chowk, was strictly business. "People would come for a quick bite or grab a take-away, so there was never a need to learn to interact with customers. I had to take orders and hand them a parcel," she says.