Chokey’s story: creating spaces for community, coffee, and cats

Between travelling for work and volunteering, Chokey Wangmo was always on the go. However, when the world entered lockdown in 2020, she found herself compelled to slow down and prioritise her wellbeing. She wanted to create a space where people in her community could boost their mental health while enjoying a good book, a cup of coffee and some adorable cats! She opened her dream café, CoffeeCat, but faced many challenges due to gender dynamics and changing business restrictions. By participating in our Mentoring Women in Business programme and working with her mentor, Cecile Reinaud, Chokey developed her entrepreneurial skills and confidence, which took her business to the next level.

“Before I became an entrepreneur, my life was very different. I had a job as a writer, drafting business proposals for different companies. For about 6 years I was constantly travelling the world and living out of a suitcase. When I wasn’t working, I was volunteering in De-suung, a national service programme in Bhutan. I was always busy, but for me that was normal. I didn’t realise how much I needed to slow down until the pandemic hit and everything stopped. Burnout that had been building up inside me from years of being on the move, suddenly hit me all at once.

I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. Many people were in the same boat. The government offered a wellness programme for people like me who were returning from abroad or struggling to adapt. I spent 21 days in Bhutan Institute of Wellbeing sharing stories, connecting with people, and taking yoga and meditation classes. It was a real turning point for me.

I realised how much I needed that kind of community in my life, but I wasn’t sure how to build that outside of the rehabilitation centre. Most of the socialising in my city was centred around alcohol consumption. There weren’t many safe spaces where people could meet, have conversations, and prioritise their mental wellbeing. I’d travelled to places where there were cafés and coffee culture that brought people together in that way, but we didn’t have anything like that locally. If I wanted it, I’d have to build it myself.

I heard that the government was offering grants for social enterprises. I pitched them an idea for a mental health-focused cat café—a cosy space for coffee, books, and cats. I said it would serve as a hub for conversations around mental health, which was heavily stigmatised in the community. I called it CoffeeCat.

The pitch was successful, and I got the grant, but I still had to get the community on board. For many people, cat cafés were a new idea. Plus, the added element of it being a mental health-focused business led to some pushback. Some people wrongly associated mental health struggles with dangerous people. They clearly didn’t understand the mental health issue, but that only made me more passionate about raising awareness for it.

The café started small. I made the furniture from scratch to save money, with help from some friends. We brought in two cats, Charcoal and Coconut, who were a calming, peaceful presence that customers loved. Then a friend of mine suggested starting a book club and we decided to host it at the café. It turned out to be a wonderful experience, as we had so much more to share beyond just the books! Most of the members are women.

Things were going well, but starting a business is always challenging, especially during a pandemic. I had to navigate all the typical business challenges—things like financial planning—while keeping up with constant changes to lockdown restrictions and business guidance.

I also faced gender-specific challenges. I was often charged double for services and excluded from business networks. It was sometimes challenging to work with male contractors because their wives wouldn’t want them spending so much time with a single woman. I had a partner when I built my next two projects, The Chambers and The Canteen, so that made it easier to work with a different gender. With CoffeeCat, it was just me. 

I was constantly doubting myself. Still, I knew that with a bit of support, I could make my business a success. That’s when I found the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s Mentoring Women in Business programme. A friend told me about her experience joining the programme through the Foundation’s partner organisation, Youth Co: Lab. It sounded like a great opportunity to expand my entrepreneurial skills. I signed up and was paired with my mentor, Cecile Reinaud, who was a successful fashion entrepreneur from France.

Cecile was incredible. She listened, validated my feelings, and gave me practical advice based on her own experience. Even though she was from a different industry, she had a lot of knowledge that could be applied to my café. She supported me in putting better systems in place for tracking inventory, managing stock, and budgeting. She also helped me negotiate with my landlord to cut unnecessary costs during lockdown. With her support, I even found the courage to hire help, instead of trying to do everything myself. 

We worked together to explore how digital tools could strengthen my business. I created digital menus that enabled my customers to see what’s available before coming into the café. That was important because there are so many different kinds of coffee, and my customers weren’t yet familiar with them all.

Our collaboration took CoffeeCat to the next level. I opened my second business, The Canteen, which I’ve since let go of. Then I opened my third business, The Chambers, which serves Mexican food. It’s much larger than CoffeeCat. With each new business comes new lessons. I’ve become a better, more confident entrepreneur as a result.  

Since graduating from the programme, Cecile and I have kept in touch. I can still go to her with my ideas and challenges, and she will always be supportive. Having Cecile in my life is like having a second brain—one that thinks in different ways. As women entrepreneurs, we need people in our lives who uplift us. Cecile is that for me.”