Quickbites – New coffee shop opens at Pointe Au Sel |02 July 2018

A new rustic-style coffee shop at Pointe Au Sel, Fairyland has been gaining popularity from the residents of southern Mahé, and even those from the other side of the island.

Although the café, located in Kumar & Kumar building, was only opened about a month ago, it already has regular customers who seem to enjoy coming back to see the quirky painting of a Chimp DJ on the wall.

According to the owner, Mr Kumar, a business degree graduate and owner of neighbouring Kumar Supermarket, Quickbites seems to be the only specialised coffee shop in the area, and has the bonus of using environmentally-friendly packaging for its products.

“Locals and tourists alike in the area have always wanted a comfortable coffee shop. While working in the supermarket, tourists were always asking me where they can grab a quick coffee, and together with my passion for the food industry, this is how I came up with the idea.”

“People in Seychelles are growing to love cafes more, and Quickbites offers a coffee shop concept that is lacking in Seychelles, especially out of Victoria; it is an informal setting, a place to hang out with family, friends and colleagues, and which offers reasonable prices, as well as free Wi-Fi”.

The name ‘Quickbites’ was suggested by Mr Kumar’sfriends, and it reflects the speed of their service, a value which most busy people appreciate nowadays.

Sanam, the shop’s professional barista, previously worked with British, multinational coffeehouse company, Costa Coffee, for about three years. His forte is making various types of coffee using the Italian coffee brand ‘Kimbo’.

Daring coffee lovers can also choose the shop’s famous ‘Frostino’ – an iced coffee drink with raspberry syrup and whipped cream in a variety of three flavours: Blueberry, Caramel and Coffee Cream.

Aside from other beverage options, Sanam also makes a range of tea, and his Iced Peach Tea is becoming quite the favourite. For those with special desires, at your request, Sanam will customise your drink to suit your taste and needs.

For a nibble, Quickbites offers a wide range of sweet and savoury snacks, from cakes, cupcakes and tarts, to ham & cheese croissants. Mr Kumar says that they offer Indian-style samoosas, similar in size to those seen in Indian movies, and Koeksister, a traditional Afrikaner confectionery that is similar to Jalebis (moutay) but with a different shape.

Mr Kumar, who supports local artists by selling their paintings in the coffee shop, recalls that some sweet tooths in the area used to drive all the way to Victoria to get their Jalebis, and now they don’t have to commute so long to get some.

The ice-cream has been a hit with the locals, who according to Mr Kumar, keep coming back for more. “Recently we had a local client come in with their baby who was having an ice-cream from another shop. We offered the client a free ice-cream and after the baby had tasted it, he kept ours and gave his father back the other one, so that was quite funny.”

The heavier side of the food menu includes sandwiches, wraps, French Fries with a twist of masala spice, and Boerewors (Farmer’s sausage) Rolls – a South African street food that is similar to hot dogs, made with 100% beef.

Mr Kumar acknowledges that there is a market with special dietary requirements, and in future the shop will also cater to these, e.g. offering almond or soy milk for lactose-intolerant customers.

Aside from some existing, healthier menu items like fruit cups, green tea and salads, Mr Kumar says that their appreciation for their clients means that they are open to feedback, to see how they can better cater for this particular market. He notes however, that up until now, everyone who comes to the café is happy, as they are actually looking to spoil themselves.

Quickbites opens from 8am to 7pm, Tuesday to Sunday. For further information, call 4 371 110 or follow ‘Quickbites Coffee SHOP’ page on Facebook.

Photo credits: The Creative Studio - Seychelles