These Three Friends Opened the Cutest Coffee Shop in the Picturesque Bylanes of Goa! 

"If you can dream it, you can do it" - Walt Disney

It's such a simple thought and yet, it is so difficult to live by. But some people manage to achieve their dreams against all odds. And even luckier ones, achieve their dreams with their friends! I met a bunch of such friends in Goa when I visited 'Ré nao', the newest coffee shop in Fontainhas.

A few months ago, a friend took me to this cute little spot and what I loved more than its coffee and the outdoor seating was the story behind it -- the fact that three friends came together to run this cafe. Rynoshca, Luiza and Pretesh, connected on a shared experience that working at travel hostels 'Old Quarter' and 'The White Balcao' gave them. They brought this dream to fruition when they realised this common connection could be turned into something special!

I reached out to them to tell me their story, in the hope that it may inspire others like me to take actions towards their goals. What I also find more inspiring is that these three friends are not trained chefs with years of culinary experience. They are home chefs, who loved the food their moms and grandmoms made for them -- and this is what they bring to their project.

In conversation with Rynoshca

When I started speaking to Rynoshca of Ré nao, I started with something simple. I asked her to tell me about the place. She said, "Ré nao is not just a project, it is a dream that three different individuals with different skills and personalities dreamt of."

"Having coffee was a mandatory start to our day and seeing how it got us together everyday as well as the people around, seeing and hearing their conversations and seeing their smiles made us happy"

"Also when we started understanding the in-depth process of what a single bean of coffee goes through, we were surprised!. This made us travel to 3 different cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Banglaore) in India in order to understand the sourcing of coffees from the highest calibre to discovering the new and quirky processing and roasting methods that give you that perfect cup of coffee. What made us more surprised and proud is the amount of hardwork and incredible risk put in by the Indian estates and roasters."

The trio spent time in hostels and various hostel cafes to make sure that they learn. Their goal was to fulfil a dream and one that involved working for themselves. But that comes with its own challenges. From money that needed to be invested, to a lockdown (and a pandemic) that no one had planned.

But how do you go forward?

"At a point when lockdown happened and we were just one month in action, we were completely shattered and didn't know whether we should go forward or no but we knew we wanted to do this and were confident that this phase will pass by and good times will follow. With that's belief, we reopened the cafe in the month of July but this time with a vast menu of food as well along with the coffee." - said Rynoshca.

When I asked them to give us a message for us dreamers, they said, “Don’t go gently into that good night.” Who do you want to be? What is the version of you that would make you most happy? Envision the perfect you."

"You can be anyone you want to be in life with hard work, good character, continuous learning, and a lot of faith. Who is the person that you would be most proud to be? You are all that and more already, or at least quickly getting there if you start right now."

"Please be YOU and the answers are probably within. Never be afraid to live a beautiful life. Also always remember that life is even more precious when your own joy, success and love touches another."

See what I mean? Inspiration can come from anywhere. It may not mean that someone's story will get you to start something of your own the very next day. But, it may help you at least think about what YOUR dream is. It certainly has got me wondering about my goal.

Just incase you need an extra dose... there is another quote the trio at Ré nao wanted me to share here. They said this helped them during the most difficult days in their journey of setting up this project.

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”– Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you find yourself in Fontainhas, do visit this charming cafe and make sure you say Hi to the 'trio' - Luiza, Rynoshca and Pretesh.

A Little Information To Help You!

Where: H.No 49, JukeBox, next to Audiophile Goa, Fontainhas (quarter), Panaji, Goa 403001

What to order: Cortado for coffee lovers, or maybe a cold pressed juice! For food, check out the new pizza's on their menu and the 'small plates'. 

Pro Tip: Sweet Potato chips are crunchy when hot, but can get softer in minutes so order accordingly.

What not to miss: The Vinyl Bar next door

So if you're heading to Fountainhas any time soon, so grab a cuppa at Ré Nao and say hi to the three friends!