Being an unconventional extrovert, who loves to dine alone, this week I struck off my bucket list, Echoes, located in Koramangala. Echoes isn’t just another restaurant; it is an experience. With a wall full of quotes providing us with just the right dose of inspiration, Echoes has an absolutely refreshing vibe .
For those of you who don’t know, Echoes is a restaurant that not only stands out for its food and ambience, but also for being managed by staff members who are differently abled , who use sign language to communicate. The entire restaurant is modified to facilitate smooth sailing communication with the customers.
As I munched on my fries, my curiosity was building up. I had several questions in mind for the staff and I needed someone who could mediate my conversation with the them to which Himanshu Bahugana, who is in charge of the operations at Echoes, kindly obliged. A bunch of happy faces met my eye.
What started off in Delhi to provide those hard of hearing an equal opportunity at employment, expanded into Bengaluru in the heart of Koramangala. Himanshu says: “These are the purest people I know.” He went on to mention how they are trained on the job and help each other get better. While the importance of the annual turnover is undeniable, the primary motive of Echoes is to work towards a noble cause of equal opportunities. The workforce is recruited from deaf and dumb schools and several NGOs.
The customers converse with the staff using a set of cue cards placed on every table. One of the employees,Vishnu expressed his happiness over the curiosity of customers with respect to the unique operation of Echoes and how some even wish to learn sign language from them. Unlike conventional restaurants, Echoes rarely faces issues with impatient customers because a dining experience this unique, can never fail at prompt execution.
Sign language, I have learnt, is not just limited to signs, but also expressions. Although I understood very little of the signs they used, I could tell a great deal about how exactly they felt about their varied experiences through their expressions. Sathish, an employee feels very strongly that there should be no room for sympathy and consolation as they are no less than anyone else and would appreciate equal respect.
Raghavendra, one of the senior employees, is a family man. Ever smiling and full of enthusiasm, he has been in the industry for the last 18 years. Being deaf and mute, opportunities have been scanty, but that did not deter his spirit.The stories of the staff members are pillars of motivation for anyone who looks at physical disabilities as a hindrance to success.
The bond the staff shares is extraordinary. Each employee is identified by a ‘special sign’ curated by his or her fellow employees. They were even kind enough to teach me a bit of sign language making it one of my most fruitful days. The back of their t-shirts read “Give me a chance, I will show you the magic” and boy did I feel the echoing magic!
