Mukul and Tuba have managed to do what every salaried employee thinks about doing at least once in their life — the couple quit their corporate jobs to move to the hills and open a cafe. For Mukul and Tuba, the journey from corporate employees to proud business owners was paved with hard work.
In a conversation with HT.com, the couple spoke about their passion project, the shift from drawing a salary to owning a business, the ins-and-outs of running a cafe in Himachal and more.
Quitting their jobs
Mukul and Tuba met in 2021 in Delhi. He was working as a visual merchandiser and marketer. She was employed with a cyber security company. Both were unhappy with their jobs.
During a trip to Jibhi in October 2021, Tuba got the opportunity to volunteer at a hostel.
“I also wanted to do something similar, but I didn’t have any idea of how to go about it. It was just a coincidence — I was sitting at a hostel and the manager said there’s an opening for a volunteer,” Mukul, 27, told HT.com. “I decided then and there to quit my job. I was quite frustrated with my job anyway.
“So that trip became four years of living in the mountains”.
While Mukul quit his job immediately, Tuba, 30, managed to juggle her remote work with the volunteering opportunity.
Over the next three years, they both worked at various hostels in the region, learning the nitty-gritties of the business before opening their own cafe, named Bleeblu.
Asked what sort of work they did, the couple laughed and replied, “Everything”. They cleaned rooms, made beds, handled social media, did front desk work, and even accompanied guests on treks.
(Also read: ‘Disillusioned’ Indian man quits JPMorgan job and takes 70% pay cut: ‘Success isn’t big paychecks’)
Taking a pay cut
As ‘volunteers’, Mukul and Tuba received a stipend that could range between ₹5,000 to ₹15,000. It was a significant downgrade from the salary that they were drawing in Delhi.
“I was earning around ₹65,000 per month at my Delhi job,” he said. “Tuba was making around ₹35,000 per month.”
He admitted that his parents were initially surprised by his decision to leave his job and move to the mountains. “They were like, now he’s earning just 10k,” he admitted. They did, however, come around in time, and are now very supportive of his venture.
However, Tuba kept her job while Mukul took up freelance assignments as they stayed in various hostels, working and learning the tricks of the trade.
Opening a cafe in Jibhi
Today, Mukul and Tuba are the proud owners of Cafe Bleeblu, a charming eatery with a scenic view in Jibhi, Himachal Pradesh. They are also soon going to open Bleeblu Stays – a hostel with nine rooms.
How did they go from working at hostels to owning one?
Mukul explained to HT.com that opening his own hostel was something he always wanted to do. During their time in Jibhi, they came across a property that suited their needs well.
While there are several restrictions for non-Himachalis on buying properties in Himachal Pradesh, they managed to get a 15 year lease on the property. The lease costs them ₹2.5 lakh per year.
Cafe Bleeblu was inaugurated in April 2024. Tuba quit her job just a month before the cafe opened.
Almost two years later, the couple says business is good. “We managed to break even within the first three months,” Mukul told HT.com.
“So when we started, we got viral from our first Reel. In fact, we had a guest at our property even before opening. We were painting one day and they came and asked for coffee,” Mukul revealed. “So footfall has been really good ever since.”
Whatever they earn from Cafe Bleeblu, the couple reinvests into their business. It has allowed them to expand to a nine-bedroom hostel that is set to open soon.
A pay cut that’s ‘worth it’
The couple was together earning more than ₹1 lakh a month in 2021. Mukul took an almost 80% pay cut when he quit his job and moved to the mountains, but it was a decision he has never regretted.
“The pay cut was definitely worth it. Working for yourself gives you another kind of motivation,” he says.
Tuba agrees. “It’s a passion driven project for us. Ever since we both met, we have been talking about it. It took us some time to come here, settle and look for this place. So this is a home cafe for us. We stay here, we live here and it’s also our workplace,” she tells HT.com.