LooCafe is an Indian public toilet model, built out of shipping containers with a point of sale attached with additional features.[1][2] The company, legally incorporated as Ixora Corporate Services, works in the WASH industry.
 | |
| Industry | Sanitation |
|---|---|
| Founder | Abhishek Nath (CEO) |
| Headquarters | , India |
Key people | Vedanth Nath (Head of Innovation) |
| Parent | Ixora Group |
| Website | loocafe |
LooCafe is designed to end open defecation and public urination onto buildings, sidewalks, or streets,[3] and create access to public toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
History
editFounded in 2018 by Abhishek Nath,[4][5] LooCafe started from Hyderabad and now are currently operational in multiple Indian states and districts,[6] including Jammu and Kashmir,[7][8] Tamil Nadu[9][10] and Telangana.[11]
Model
editMost public toilets in India fail because of maintenance issues and a variety of government challenges.[12]
LooCafes are designed to be sustainable models because of their business model. Revenue from the café or point of sale helps them sustain the public toilets that are built towards the back out of the shipping container. The usage of IoT devices and facility management technology have also helped them expand their footprint to 350 units across India.[13] In 2019, they won Confederation of Indian Industry awards.[14]
Institutions
editLooCafes have worked with the British Council,[15] Hyderabad Design Week,[16] and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).[17][18]
For their social work[19] a book was also launched titled Toilet Tales.[20] The toilets have operated during the COVID-19 pandemic in India with respect to disinfection work for public facilities.[21]
LooCafe models
edit-
LooCafe installed at Tank Bund Road -
LooCafe Mini Model
References
edit- ^ Bhaskar, Anisha Bhatia, Sonia (2018-07-26). "Hyderabad To Go Swachh With 130 Loo Cafes, Equipped With Smart Toilets, Cafes And ATM Services". NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth Swachh India. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Nitnaware, Himanshu (2020-12-07). "Hyderabad Man Turns Shipping Containers Into Solar 'Loocafes' With Stink Sensors". The Better India. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Jaggard, David (27 March 2012). "The Flow of History: The Mercifully Dwindling Presence of the Parisian Pissoir". Paris Update. Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Leader, The Weekend. "Unfazed by failures, he built a toilet-cum-cafe chain that became a Rs 18 crore turnover business in just two years". www.theweekendleader.com. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Bhattacharya, Ahana (2022-10-05). "Loocafé Founder Abhishek Nath shares how they are changing India's public toilet scene". The CSR Journal. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "MC to open 'loo cafés' soon". The Times of India. 2022-06-23. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Paitandy, Priyadarshini (2021-05-05). "Comfort stop: Hyderabad-based Loo Café makes its way to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "Hyderabad's Loo Cafes now all set to dot scenic Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir". The Times of India. 2020-09-28. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Bureau, ABP News (2021-09-05). "Two 'Loo Cafe' To Come Up In Chennai's Landmark Places By Month End". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Kandavel, Sangeetha (2022-05-12). "Chennai's first free luxury toilet with a cafe attached opened at Indira Nagar MRTS". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "Hyderabad: Now, loo cafes in Hi-tech city". Deccan Chronicle.
- ^ "India's toilets: Report questions claims that rural areas are free from open defecation". 2019-03-18. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ Hussain, Mohammed (2020-05-29). "Loocafe 2.0 will soon feature across India". The Siasat Daily – Archive. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "CII Awards - Home". www.innovationawards.ciiinnovation.in. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "Loo Café x Water Loop Video | Blog | ADF | British Council". design.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "Hyderabad Design Week will showcase the city's entrepreneurial skills in offering global solutions". The Indian Express. 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ "'With paltry rent, Loo cafes minting profits'". The Times of India. April 13, 2019.
- ^ "Loo Cafe in GHMC-Maud tussle". Deccan Chronicle. 23 January 2019.
- ^ Thomas, Liffy (2023-11-21). "World Toilet Day: changing the narrative". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ Kosuru, Amrutha (2022-05-07). "28 Toilet Tales highlight entrepreneurial dedication to transform public toilets". newsmeter.in. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
- ^ ANI. "Telangana sets up 'Loo Cafe' with options of disinfection, sanitization amid coronavirus pandemic". Asian News International.