Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: October 26,2022 | 
| 中文
Magical Floor has a cozy cold kitchen
As more cities in Pakistan are growing and running out of space for large houses where families can entertain guests in a peaceful and serene environment, neighborhood community spaces, coffee shops, cafes, and lounges have mushroomed as an alternative. Similarly, with rents skyrocketing in new urban settlements and a bourgeoning start-up culture, co-working spaces have also become commonplace. An idea that has become increasingly popular is to combine the two, and create community spaces that serve both purposes. In fact, so central are coffee shops, doubling up as community spaces to the modern urban culture that they are described as ‘third-places’ in ‘town lives’. They are places for people to meet, relax and develop connections or just focus on pursuits that they can’t do at home or at work.
A reading session at the Magical Floor
I recently happened upon such a place in Bahria Phase 7, Rawalpindi, a suburban community. Interestingly titled ‘Magical Floor’, I walked into it with my laptop not knowing what to expect while looking for a place to peacefully sit and sip on some good freshly brewed coffee, get a sound internet connection, and finish my latest assignment that I had been procrastinating over. What I found at this small cheerful place is much more than what I had expected. Magical Floor is the brainchild of Sanniya Gul, a sprightly first-time entrepreneur, and her friend and business partner Razi, who has a calmer personality. Their visions converged in 2019 when they decided on this venture. Their desire was to set up a place that could be a home away from home for a regular clientele that they interestingly like to call their ‘tribe’.
Sanniya Gul, the force behind the Magical Floor
“We both are not residents of Bahria but when we were considering setting up a place like this, this place chose us. As soon as we opened our doors, the pandemic struck. It was a very challenging time for us, just as it was for so many small businesses. We wanted to create a niche place where people form a community, which luckily steadily grew. Despite the fact that we have not been marketing the place aggressively, we have a tight circle of our regular clientele who tell us that they love to spend their time at the Magical Floor,” Sanniya explains.
Being an energy healer with lots of experience in counseling, Sanniya holds monthly ‘Circle of Hope’ sessions at the Magical Floor. She also provides one-on-one sessions for clients of all ages, from young to old. In these times, when everyday stresses and busy life are constantly taking a toll on an individual’s mental health, it sure sounds like a good idea to find a space not far from home where one can visit to unwind and de-stress.
Immersive theatre performance at the Magical Floor
Over many subsequent visits, I discovered that Magical Floor is also holding reading sessions titled ‘Words of Heart’, where people get together in informal groups to share their own poetry and prose. Meditation sessions, open mic nights, musical recitals, and standup comedy sessions are also part of their weekend roster. Razi’s love for Saadat Hassan Manto, one of the greatest Urdu short story writers, has resulted in the Magical Floor hosting regular ‘Manto Nights’, where lovers of Urdu literature get together to read, discuss and enjoy some of his most iconic literary pieces. “We have created a safe space where most of the people who visit know each other or get to know each other while they are at the Magical Floor. It is a place where making new friends is easy. We have also held guitar classes and offered bachata and kathak classes on demand. We have held immersive theatre sessions, Halloween parties, film screenings and qawwali recitals at the Magical Floor. Our tribe people can also book the place for family get-togethers, corporate events and private parties. We have had bridal showers to birthdays. Just last month we had the first small but very elegant nikah ceremony at the Magical Floor,” Razi shares with a shy smile.
Classical dance classes at the Magical Floor
Food at the Magical Floor is fresh and home cooked. The signature ginger tea is a must try, and the range of cold sandwiches has a decent lineup of options to choose from. You can also order the chocolate fondu or cheese fondu, depending on your preference. I tried a slice of their prized cheesecake with my coffee and was impressed. Surprisingly, the cake had been freshly baked by Razi, who enjoys cooking. If you are looking for freshly baked tacos, waffles, or brownies, Magical Floor is the place to visit. “We also have a range of pizzas and quiches on our menu. For larger events that are pre-booked, we select the menu after consultation with the client. Razi and I are both foodies and connoisseurs of healthy food, so we prefer food that is close to nature, fresh, and helps detox your system. Luckily our tribe at the Magical Floor also enjoys the experimentations that we keep introducing to our menu. Almost every month, you will find a new entry on our menu, which keeps it exciting for us as well as our visitors.” Sanniya elaborates. Though my own coffee place requests are usually limited to a good cup of freshly brewed coffee and an occasional sandwich or a freshly baked waffle, in my opinion the Magical Floor must focus on a more permanent menu and expand on the choices of entrees on offer in order to attract a wider range of regular customers.
Homemade Thin-Crust Pizza
What stands out about the Magical Floor is the cheerful but tastefully done interior. One can find references from John Lenon to Rumi, and from Faiz to Bulleh Shah on the walls. A small collection of carefully selected books neatly lines up the tastefully designed racks and there are baskets full of toys for the little ones to keep busy with, while the grownups enjoy their own intellectual pursuits. The music at the Magical Floor is in keeping with the ambiance, and mostly consists of Jazz and Western classics.
“We are slowly but gradually growing, and that is how we had planned it. In November, we have plans to run English Conversation Classes followed by a weekly farmers’ market. We also have been planning a literature festival that we hope to materialize by the end of this year. For the next year, we plan to add a carefully curated artisan product shop as another feature at the Magical Floor”, Sanniya beams while talking about their future plans.
Sitar recital at the Magical Floor by Wajih Nizami
As the midday sun begins to soften with the advent of the winter season, I look forward to sitting in the cute little outdoor space of the Magical Floor, getting my regular cup of coffee with maybe a side order, and finally getting the time and the motivation to finish the many writing pieces that have been sitting, half-finished on my laptop’s “Work-in-Progress” folder for a long time.
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