“Zero waste is not about perfection. It is about trying your best every day to reduce what you send back to the planet,” says Nishtha Chauhan, founder of Cafe Aarambh in Ahmedabad.
In many Indian homes, people practised sustainability long before the word became popular. Nishtha grew up in Ahmedabad in such a home. Her family treated food with respect, reused what they could, and avoided waste as part of everyday life. Her grandfather played a strong role in shaping her thinking, especially through his belief in traditional grains like millets.
“We never thought we were doing something different,” she says. “It was very normal in our home.”
She watched her family compost kitchen waste and make considerate choices about what they used and how much they used. Those habits stayed with her as she began noticing how differently the world outside treated food, convenience, and waste.
Start with a clear purpose
As Nishtha grew older, she began to notice a contradiction in the way people approached food. Many spoke about eating healthy meals and making mindful choices. Yet, when they stepped into cafes or restaurants, convenience and indulgence often took over.
Nishtha Chauhan opened Cafe Aarambh in Thaltej, Ahmedabad in December 2021.
“People want to lead a healthy lifestyle. However, when they go outside, they choose unhealthy food,” she tells The Better India.
She also noticed that many healthy options rarely appealed to younger customers. Some felt too plain, while others leaned heavily on traditional formats that did not excite diners looking for something different.
That gap stayed with her. She began to ask herself a natural question. Could she create food options that felt familiar and enjoyable while still being healthy?
Make healthy food enjoyable
At 24, she decided to look into that question in the most direct way possible. In December 2021, she opened Cafe Aarambh in Thaltej, Ahmedabad. Today, at 28, she continues to run the cafe with the same intention that drove its beginning.
That intention showed up first in the food. She reworked dishes people already loved, using millets in familiar formats so that customers could enjoy their meals without feeling like they had given something up.
“If people feel they are compromising on taste, they will not continue, but if they enjoy what they eat, they will come back again,” she explains.
She focused on building habits because she wanted customers to return, to enjoy the food, and to slowly make millets a part of their everyday meals.
Cut plastic from the start
Every corner of Cafe Aarambh reflects her thinking. The cafe does not rely on single-use items. It does not offer tissue paper on tables. Customers wash their hands and use a reusable towel instead. Steel straws replace plastic ones, and reusable cutlery takes the place of disposable alternatives.
“We decided from the beginning that we would not use single-use plastic,” she says. “We have not changed that.”
When the cafe needs to use disposable items, it uses areca leaf plates and bowls that decompose naturally. In the kitchen, the team collects all wet waste and adds it to a composter. Over time, the waste turns into manure, which the cafe uses for its plants.
The cafe does not rely on single-use items.
“We make sure whatever comes in does not become waste,” she explains.
Find smarter ways to stay cool
Ahmedabad’s heat usually pushes businesses to depend on air conditioning. Nishtha chose another way. She runs her cafe without AC units and uses water sprinklers and coolers to keep the space comfortable.
The sprinklers reduce the surrounding temperature, while the coolers circulate air properly. Customers do not feel uncomfortable, and the cafe avoids heavy energy consumption.
This choice reflects her approach to sustainability. Comfort remains part of the experience, but the method changes.
Keep your supply chain local
Nishtha pays close attention to where her ingredients come from. She sources vegetables and supplies from nearby farmers and vendors to reduce the distance food travels.
“We make sure we take things from nearby areas,” she says. “It reduces our carbon footprint.”
She suggests building supply chains by stepping out and connecting directly with producers. Farmer expos, kisan melas (farmer fairs), and local markets offer opportunities to meet vendors and form long-term relationships.
“You have to go out and meet people because that is how you build real connections,” she says.
Keep the menu small
Cafe Aarambh keeps its menu limited to maintain quality and control waste. “If your menu is unending, your waste will also be big,” she explains.
The cafe turns waste into manure and uses it for the plants in the kitchen garden.
She started with just a few dishes and slowly expanded the menu while keeping it manageable. The kitchen prepares food fresh based on expected demand. When an item runs out, the team informs customers instead of replacing it with pre-prepared stock.
“If something is always available, it is not fresh,” she says. This approach allows her to reduce waste and maintain consistency.
Accept that zero waste takes time
She understands the limitations of running a food business and does not claim that her cafe produces zero waste in absolute terms.
“You cannot run a cafe and expect it to be completely zero waste, but what matters is how seriously you try every day to reduce what goes out as waste,” Nishtha shares, adding that she focuses on reducing landfill waste, avoiding plastic, and choosing materials that decompose naturally.
Nishtha continues to refine her processes and make better decisions where possible. “It is about intention,” she explains. “What you are trying to do matters.”
Train the team early
Nishtha makes sure her team understands the purpose behind every practice at the cafe. She trains them from the beginning to segregate waste, use the composter, and follow the systems in place.
“They have to know why they are doing it,” she says. At first, the extra effort feels challenging, but over time, the team adapts. These actions become part of their daily routine.
“Once it becomes a habit, you do not need to remind them again,” she adds.
Start small
Many assume that building a sustainable cafe requires considerable investment. Nishtha’s journey tells a different story.
“I started with very little money,” she says. She avoided unnecessary expenses and made thoughtful choices. She did not install air conditioning, which reduced both initial costs and ongoing bills. She used composting to create manure instead of buying it.
“It is not about spending more money, it is about choosing differently,” she explains.
Bring customers into the idea
When Cafe Aarambh first opened, many customers questioned the concept. They asked about the absence of tissues, the limited menu, and the focus on millets.
The founder addressed these questions by speaking directly with them.
“You have to explain why you are doing this,” she says. She spent time interacting with customers, sharing her reasoning, and helping them understand the cafe’s approach.
Over time, people began to appreciate the thought behind the choices. “Once they understand, they accept it,” she adds.
What small food businesses can learn from her model
Nishtha’s journey offers clear direction for anyone who wants to follow a similar path.
Comfort remains part of the experience, but the method changes.
1. Start with clarity
You need to understand your purpose before you begin. Customers will question your decisions, and you must stand by them.
2. Remove single-use plastic from day one
You must decide early that you will not rely on plastic cutlery or packaging. This choice shapes every other decision you make.
“It is easy to choose convenience, but you have to decide what really matters,” she says.
3. Keep your menu focused
You should start with fewer dishes so you can manage quality and reduce waste. As you learn more about your customers, you can adjust.
“Start small and understand what people want,” she suggests.
4. Build local supply chains
You should connect with nearby farmers and vendors. This reduces emissions and strengthens your business.
5. Train your team early
Introduce sustainable practices from the beginning. This helps your team adopt them naturally.
6. Educate your customers
You should explain your concept clearly so people understand your choices. “In the beginning, you have to communicate a lot,” she says.
7. Stay patient
“You must give your idea time to grow. ‘For the first two years, I did not make any profit,’ she shares. ‘You have to be ready for that.’”
The impact of four years of low-waste choices
Over four years, Nishtha’s decisions have added up to a measurable impact. The cafe has avoided 576,000 single-use plastic items and prevented 1.7 tonnes of plastic waste. It has reduced carbon emissions by 28.3 metric tonnes by operating without air conditioning. Local sourcing has prevented an additional 17.3 metric tonnes.
Together, these choices have helped avoid 45.6 metric tonnes of carbon emissions. These numbers show consistent effort rather than one-time action.
Nishtha avoided unnecessary expenses and made thoughtful choices.
Cafe Aarambh stands on a simple belief: better choices do not need to begin perfectly. They need to begin honestly.
For Nishtha, that is the lesson she hopes more people carry forward.
“You do not have to know or do everything,” she says. “You just have to plan a little, start where you are and keep going.”
All pictures courtesy Nishtha Chauhan.
