A cafe where tyres become chairs: Hyderabad’s Samatha Kitchen reimagines waste

Discover Hyderabad's Samatha Kitchen, a cafe transforming waste into furniture while empowering marginalized communities through skill development and sustainability.

What if the chair you sit on at a cafe was once a discarded tyre, or the table in front of you has been shaped from recycled plastic that might otherwise have ended up in a landfill? At Samatha Kitchen in Hyderabad, these are not design choices but the foundation of an idea. The newly-opened cafe uses repurposed material, turning waste into functional infrastructure, while creating pathways for livelihoods for people from marginalised communities.

The cafe, established under the Hope In a Cup (HIC) model, was inaugurated by Minister Ponnam Prabhakar at the Hyderabad District Collectorate at Lakdi-ka-pul on Thursday (April 9).

At the centre of the project is a ‘Recycled Zone’, where waste materials have been repurposed into usable infrastructure. A total of 710 kg tyre waste has been utilised, including 350 kg from seven lorry tyres, 144 kg from 18 small tyres and 216 kg from 18 medium tyres. In addition, 300 kg of recycled plastic has been used to make furniture such as chairs, while 40 kg of steel drums have been repurposed for utility elements within the cafe.

“These materials have been adapted into seating, fencing and other functional structures, demonstrating how discarded resources can be converted into durable public assets,” said Hyderabad Collector Hari Chandana Dasari.

Ms. Dasari said the initiative is being run on the lines of the Indiramma Canteen model, with a focus on affordability and accessibility for the public.

The recycled infrastructure was produced by Children in Conflict with Law (CICL) at the Government Home in Saidabad under the Department of Juvenile Welfare, Correctional Services and Welfare of Street Children, Telangana. Around 30 boys took part in a 15-day skill development programme supported by Envision Energy, Bengaluru, contributing to the creation of the cafe’s eco-friendly components.