MTV's cafe for 'work, chill, play' to debut in India

Taking its brand ahead from the broadcast, digital and on-ground experience space, youth brand MTV has announced the launch of FLYP@MTV, a cafe which hinges on the concept of work, chill and play. The cafe will make its global debut by opening in the capital next month, officials said.

Viacom18 Consumer Products, the consumer products arm of Viacom18, has associated with Funbars Hospitality Pvt Ltd to give shape to the idea of the cafes.

The Delhi launch -- in centrally located Connaught Place area, will be followed by 10 cafes across India, including in Mumbai and Bangalore, in the next five years, Saugato Bhowmik, senior vice president, Consumer Products, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd, told IANS.

FLYP@MTV promises to provide patrons the opportunity to experience MTV in its entirety and interact with it through engaging touch points at the cafe, specially curated entertainment and an exclusive menu created by celebrity chef Ranveer Brar.

"We aim to bring the DNA of MTV... the fun, entertainment and irreverence... and essentially get the 'MTVness' into the cafe with the look, feel, colours, live concerts and gigs," Bhowmik said.

Aimed at independent professionals, free thinkers and creative minds, FLYP@MTV is unique for its nature of being an exclusive place to work during the day; transforming into a place to chill in the evening and a play zone at night.

All elements in the cafe will draw inspiration from various themes associated with MTV.

The name, FLYP@MTV, as Bhowmik pointed out, encapsulates the modern day youth's mood, which often flips from one pursuit to another.

"We want to capture the multiple dimensions of a person, who may be a student in the morning, a person working on a business idea in early evenings and then at night, the same person enjoys, say some electronic dance music. So, there will be three distinct aspects it will delve on -- work, chill and play," he said, adding that the cafe will offer a creatively stimulating environment.

It will also be technologically advanced.

A MTV Virtual Museum will be for the customer to explore the world of MTV in the previous years through Oculus and Controllers. The customer can also select and play videos from the MTV Archive.

For some fun and entertainment, a Book a Bakra section will enable consumers to book pranks which can be recorded through hidden cameras and mics, a la "MTV Bakra".

There will also be a shelf where visitors could pick merchandise, and an MTV style recording studio will be there for those gifted with a melodious song.

What will be offered in terms of food?

"Very glocal-local... Local flavours presented in a global style, created by chef Ranveer Brar," Bhowmik said, and added that the presentation, of pre-mixed cocktails, will especially be very funky.

The experience will be "affordably and competitively priced".

Other cities where FLYP@MTV plans to open doors, include Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.