Cafe and Workshop Created by Young Family with love of Khevsureti
The story of Margaret Daiauri and Giorgi Chincharauli is already well known to the public to the extent that they created the first family in Shatili in the 21st century. Margaret, a designer by profession, was 22 years old when she left everything in Tbilisi and started working as a volunteer teacher in Shatili. "I am Margaret - the youngest girl who went to Shatili to become a teacher and never left."
To the people who leave their native land, Margaret advises that they must definitely return to the historical place and fight for the development of that environment because if they do not take care of the village themselves, others will not work to create better conditions.
It is for this purpose that the young family decided to create a Khevsureti cafe, thus interestingly presenting the historical side of Khevsureti and Shatili in particular. Most recently, Margaret won a "Produce in Georgia" grant to open a workshop and create an exhibition space in Shatili, and along with co-financing, she attracted an investment of 24,000 GEL for the new initiative. How did the idea of creating a cafe and workshop come about and what are the plans of the young family to promote Shatil? - Margaret Daiauri will answer Entrepreneur's questions:
The idea and initiative of opening the cafe belong to my husband. The name - "Sunflower", and the design concept was my idea. We wanted to create a thematically very interesting and different space, so we combined old and modern styles and created what we have today.
The cafe already has loyal customers who regularly visit your space. What do you think customers value most and why do they feel comfortable in your cafe?
I think our cafe, with its location, originality and design, is liked by both the young and the older generation. We have a cozy, artistic, and very comfortable environment, and we always try to make you feel at home. Perhaps the visitor feels and appreciates all this.
Margaret, are you often visited by foreign tourists along with local guests? What excites them the most?
Yes, our vacationers are both Georgians and foreigners. They are most excited by the fact that we young people live in an old, historical tower and partially continue the history that our ancestors left us. You will be fascinated by the castle city of Shatili, its architectural planning, history, traditions, and of course, the cafe located here, which creates a space that combines modern and ancient styles at the same time.
Margaret, in addition to the cafe, you are working on opening a workshop and exhibition space. You recently won the "Produce in Georgia" grant. Tell us, what does the new initiative include and what will you use the raised investment for?
Within the framework of the "Produce in Georgia" project, I obtained an investment of 24,000 GEL as co-financing. My goal was to open a workshop in Shatil and create an exhibition space that would interest visitors even more. Tourists are always eager to see the gorges, and artistic works, learn the history of our region and learn more interesting stories or even share their opinions and history with us. It is for this purpose that I came up with this business idea, and I think that the new initiative will promote Khevsureti and Shatili in particular.
What are your future development plans and visions? Ultimately, how do you envision your cafe?
In the future, we plan that our cafe should be an intellectual and artistic space, where people will not only relax but also learn a lot of important things. They will get to know our traditions, culture, painting, and any works of art. They will participate in master classes, and listen to interesting lectures. Also, upon request, presentations of books or works of different artists will be held, which we think will significantly increase interest in this area.
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