3 Indian food entrepreneurs on how to set up a successful business

When Messman Harchandrai informed her employers at The Oberoi of her back injury, they offered her a parallel position in a managerial role. After some introspection, she realised that she couldn’t imagine doing anything but cooking. “It just wasn’t acceptable to me that I wasn’t cooking. So I had to find an answer that was acceptable, which meant starting my own neighbourhood cafe,” she explained. Messman Harchandrai’s tragic experience led to her to pay extra care to health and safety procedures for her team members at Theobroma, whether it be the temperatures they work in or the personal hygiene they’re expected to maintain. She added, “I couldn’t be happier that we’re on this journey to install proper systems and procedures for health and safety, because I don’t want anyone else to have a bad back and say, ‘when I was at Theobroma, I messed up my back.’”

Asked about how she measures success, Messman Harchandrai said she doesn’t think she’s in the business for food, but that of happiness. “I have never chased after success, and I do not quantify it. My aim is to make everyone around me happy through food. That includes my family, my guests, my employees, and all my stakeholders. I do not think I can ever say I am successful; it is a journey and I’m asking myself the same question everyday: ‘how many people have I made happy today?’”

Want to make it big in the food industry? Follow these tips:

Do it for the journey, not the destination 

Asked about his upcoming autobiography, The Guy Who Quit Google to Sell Samosas, commissioned by Harper Collins, Munaf Kapadia said that he honestly isn’t sure how many copies will sell, but is thrilled at the experience of writing an autobiography nonetheless. And it’s the same attitude he wants you to adopt towards an entrepreneurial undertaking. “Don’t do it because you want to open a 100 outlets or become the next Riyaz Amlani. Do it for the fact that it is very exciting to feed your first ten customers and your next hundred customers. You’re very excited to go in the kitchen and innovate on dishes and recipes. You’re curious about what happens when you call people and ask them for feedback. You’re very intrigued about how you handle a P&L for a delivery kitchen or a restaurant. You’re curious about hiring people and dealing with their tantrums. Do it because you’re very, very excited about building a brand, not a successful restaurant. Look forward to these individual milestones,” he advises.