Written by Navnoor Kaur

Pune is known for its wadas (large, courtyard houses), spaces that once reflected traditional community living. Today, many of these structures are slowly being repurposed as cultural spaces. In a first though a 70-year old wada on Tilak Road has now turned into a cafe adding a whole new dimension to the use of these.

“Soo, be it” was founded by Nikhil Oza, 37, a chartered accountant whose initial success was with the MH 12 Pav bhaji eatery, which now has 32 outlets. “I had been looking for a place on Tilak Road for a while and finally found one. The property is owned by the Shah family,” said Oza who immediately decided to rent it.

The appeal lay not just in the structure but in the possibilities it offered. Initially, the project was called “The Mystery of Tilak Road”, but it was later renamed to “Soo, be it Cafe”, and opened on 12 March 2026. The name “Soo, be it” suggests a sense of acceptance, reflecting the idea of a space where people can come as they are and feel comfortable, says Oza.

Elaborating further on what drew him to the place, he says,” Every room has a different vibe. I wanted people to sit, relax and experience the space that every room offered. The decision was to maintain the original character of the wada, and it came with its own set of challenges.”

The biggest challenge was the structure itself, as he did not want to disturb anything. The cafe has multiple sections. There is an outdoor area called a veranda, an indoor space, a pop space for students, and a small shop section. The second floor is used as an event space.

This vegetarian cafe comprises 30 staff, and specializes in continental offerings like pizza, pasta and even burgers. Oza said the speciality is wood-fired pizza, especially the creamy four-cheese truffle pizza.

A customer described the space as vintage and cosy with great food, another said the uniqueness of the ambience was unusual and aesthetic.

When asked what this space meant to him, Oza puts it in one word- “Peace.” He added that his vision was to create a place where people could disconnect from their phones and reconnect with themselves and others.