A simple craving for Delhi-style chole bhature turned into a Rs 100 crore food business in Bengaluru. Three friends, Karan, Chetan and Nabajyoti, missed the taste of authentic Delhi food after living in the national capital for years. Instead of looking for another place to eat, they decided to bring the dish to the Karnataka city themselves.
The friends travelled to Delhi, tried chole bhature at different outlets, studied the recipes, brought experienced cooks with them and started Shyamji Chole Bhature.
They also found a smart way to attract customers. They identified two groups that could become their main customers – North Indian IT workers looking for a familiar taste and South Indians who had never tried authentic chole bhature before. Their biggest move was launching the dish for just Rs 9, which soon attracted long queues.
Also Read:Â Video: Missing Chole Bhature In Netherlands? Man Finds Desi Jugaad With Tortilla
As the business grew, they added more items such as chaat, sweets, lassi and other North Indian meals. Today, the brand sells more than 50,000 bhature every month.
Chetan Kedia, co-founder of Shyamji Chole Bhature, explained to Mesa School of Business that the idea came from their long stay in Bengaluru. After living there for more than 30 years, the founders missed the real taste of Delhi street food. They were also inspired by Wow Momo, which turned one simple food item into a popular brand across India. This made them think about doing something similar with chole bhature.
Their aim was not to target only North Indians. They wanted people across Bengaluru to enjoy the true taste of Delhi-style street food.
Chetan added that they travelled to Delhi and spent several weeks exploring different parts of the city. They visited places such as Old Delhi and Chandni Chowk and tried chole bhature from many local shops.
Also Read:Â Chef Pankaj Bhadouria Shares An Easy Way To Clean Brass And Copper Vessels Before Diwali
After searching different areas, they found the right cooks who could traditionally prepare the food. Bringing these cooks to Bengaluru was not easy because the city was far from their homes. The founders slowly gained their trust and convinced them to join Shyamji Chole Bhature.
