India is known for its culture and traditional food all over the world. But still there is a lot left to introduce to the international platter. Food is all that is required for a healthy & happy mind. Here is a family, who is trying to bring their authentication on food through a unique way possible! What can be better than eating a great meal with some cultural recapitulate at a very homely atmosphere! The Bohri Kitchen (TBK) is one of those innovative additions that add up to the taste bud with the authentic experience of Bohri food. It is named after the community, known for their excellent cuisine, communal unity and cultural distinctions. Based in Colaba, Mumbai, the Headquarter is nothing else but the residence of the Kapadia’s where the mother-son duo has taken the initiative to come up with the cuisines; the world is yet to acknowledge.
In an interview with Insights Success, Munaf Kapadia, Founder of The Bohri Kitchen gave some perceptive answers highlighting the influences made by his company to take wellness programs to a new level.
- Kindly brief us about the company’s initial days. Enlighten us with the foundation story and the brief details of the initial days.
The Bohri Kitchen started as an anti-product with no intention whatsoever to make this into a full-fledged business. It started one afternoon in our Chief Eating Officer’s living room when he got into an argument with his mother regarding who deserves to watch television. Munaf had to think of ways to keep his mom busy and happy at the same time. That was the inception of The Bohri Kitchen. It all started with one random mail and a group of 7-10 people who came over to his house for their first Bohri meal experience. The word spread across the town and in no time, Munaf Kapadia’s weekends were occupied hosting people in his house. Today, after 3 years, TBK operates on 4 verticals – Dining Experiences, Home Delivery, Catering & a new stall at The Flea Bazaar café in Kamala Mills.
- Brief us about the Founder/CEO of the company. What kind of ethics, principles and manner of working does he/she observes while running the business?
Munaf Kapadia founded The Bohri Kitchen 3 years ago with his mom Nafisa Kapadia. At that time, Munaf was working with Google and had a very bright future with the company. Nonetheless, the universe had other plans for him, what started as an arbitrary thing to keep his mother busy went ahead, gained momentum and a bit of press. Munaf realized that there is a gap when it comes to Bohri food in the market and TBK can actually turn out to become a business which is scalable. That’s when he left his fancy job at Google and become a full time Chief Eating Officer at The Bohri Kitchen. Today, along with his team, he has set up a delivery kitchen which delivers all across the city. TBK also does caterings big and small and yes, the home dining experience still happens every weekend. Munaf attempts at getting standards and procedures in place as he wants TBK to move from the startup phase and become a company which has systems in place to ensure consistency in sales. Another principle followed by Munaf is being transparent with the team. The team should be a part of your journey and should know about it’s position in the market at all times.
- Please tell us about the business model you follow that makes the brand unique in the mid of cut throat competition.
Being a startup we are still trying to set a business model in place, nonetheless, what helps us stay ahead of the curve is the fact that when we deal with customers, we become the customer, this helps us understand them better and constantly evolve. TBK is a brand made by the people and hence it is very important to always keep them happy and keep their convenience on priority – this is what gave birth to The Travelling Thaal where we bring the signature dining experience to you at a venue of your choice and the bit where we have made our delivery kitchen capable enough to deliver across the city. Also the USP lies in the fact that as a brand, TBK is very personal and approachable.
- Tell us about the business policies, the agendas and customer services you provide.
We are in a process of building policies but as mentioned above, we are constantly trying to ace it with our customer service, which means we have a standard procedure when it comes to doing feedback calls to our customers and also working on their feedback very seriously. We believe, this is how we will grow as a brand. Also, when it comes to our home dining experience, we have noticed the C-sat (Customer satisfaction) is the highest as people come over to our home and have the food made by my mom.
- Brief us about the future of the company or the goal it has set to mark its uniqueness in future. Please share with us about the current industry scenario from your perspective.
The goal or vision for TBK is to saturate the city with Bohri food and actually become synonymous with it. After the city, TBK intends to cross borders, nationally as well as internationally. The current industry in our perspective is very diverse and open to experimenting with food and culture. A decade ago people were not as well travelled and had a limited view point when it came to food. Nonetheless, it’s all taken a 360 degree turn now. The current industry is very demanding but that’s what makes the journey very exciting. TBK as a brand is also evolving with its services – not when it comes to food as we intend to stick to Bohri food and not dilute the brand that way.
- Advise for the entrepreneurs who are trying to embark in the same field.
Do your research well. While it might sound very fascinating to take the plunge and follow your passion, don’t do that with a band on your eye. Do your research, analyze what you’re getting yourself into. Calculate an opportunity cost and most importantly choose the right people in your journey – by people we mean your team and your mentors.
- The accomplishments and acknowledgements of the company.
- Forbes 30 under 30
- Times Food & Nightlife Award for The Best Bohri Restaurant
- The Midday Guide Rising Star Award
- CondeNast’s list of 50 people who Influence The Way The City Eats.
- Entrepreneur Magazine’s 35 Under 35 list.
And more!
- Share your views on “Healthy and Hygienic Food in an Affordable Price”
If you were to ask this question a couple of years ago, I’d say it’s a myth. We all know that food which claims to be healthy is always a tab bit expensive than others. But now, it’s a different case altogether, there are conclaves and committees who’s role is to ensure that today’s customer get the best, healthy and hygienic meal in an affordable price. There are dedicated companies like Equinox which run health checks and audits. It’s very important that the consumer today is educated about where their food is coming from. As being a part of the hospitality industry, we think it’s our duty to educate the consumers as well and follow ethical standards for producing food.
