The Indian Coffee House Cooperative Society is planning to increase the number of women employees and start restaurants exclusively run by women.
P.V. Balakrishnan, the president of the Society, told reporters here on Friday that there were as many as 20 women working in the restaurants run by the Society in Kannur and Kozhikode districts.
The women employees were recruited on an experimental basis a few months ago. “However, they have proved themselves to be exceptional and capable of doing difficult work,” he said.
The Society had decided to increase the number of women, he said, after announcing the inauguration of another restaurant at Iritty on November 16. “However, certain questions, such as whether they can start work very early in the day or stay back late at night, bother us,” he said. Women employees also need to be provided accommodation and other facilities. Those concerns were under consideration before the opening of an exclusive hotel run by women, he added.
Mr. Balakrishnan said the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax had hit the Society hard. However, the restaurants had not changed rates and continued to provide food at affordable rates. With the inauguration of the restaurant at Iritty, the society would have a total of 29 restaurants in six districts. The Society was also thinking of launching mobile stalls at certain locations, he added.
