Visakhapatnam: Vizag city’s bustling street food culture has embraced an unexpected, yet delightful addition. Its home bakers are setting up weekend stalls along popular streets offering affordable gourmet treats, while pursuing their passion for baking.The coastal city now hosts between 250–300 street food stalls, with approximately 40–50 operated by home bakers. These weekend culinary entrepreneurs can be found at Rushikonda, Sagar Nagar, Park Hotel junction, Old Jail Road, and NAD street food areas. They typically operate from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.Among these entrepreneurs are young women from nearby villages, who have found a path to financial independence through baking. A software engineer, juggling family responsibilities with culinary aspirations, maintains his 9-to-5 corporate job during weekdays, while operating a bustling food stall on weekends.The part-time bakers have introduced chocolate-coated strawberries, kunafa chocolate, crepes and other innovative treats at prices that are significantly lower than traditional bakery establishments. Not just indulgent desserts, some home bakers have also prioritised healthier alternatives, offering oat brownies, peanut butter cookies, ragi biscuits and sugar-free cupcakes.One of the entrepreneurs is Micky, a B. Sc. student who manages his home baking stall at Park Hotel Junction on weekends. Specialising in croissants and pancakes, he ensures his rates are minimal—starting at ₹80—so that street food lovers from all walks of life can enjoy his baked goods.For siblings Taslim and Faiza, their weekend cheesecake stall represents both pursuing a passion and overcoming family resistance. “My family members don’t favour cooking as my profession,” Taslim says.There are householders like Harisha from Shillong, who relocated to Visakhapatnam following her husband’s transfer. “I take care of my child during weekdays, take orders by phone, and deliver home-baked goods. Nowadays, people look for aesthetic presentation alongside quality. Instead of investing heavily in a storefront, I decided to sell at weekend street markets, where authenticity matters more than flashy decor,” she says.
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