BENGALURU:When a group of engineering students were assigned to organise fests during their college days, including overseeing catering for the event, they realised their passion and decided to launch a company after completion of their graduation.
Three engineers Murali Gundanna, IL Aalaap, and Yathi Raj then launched ‘Foodbox’ in December 2015 and today, it has become quite a successful business venture receiving good response from the public.
Murali worked as a software engineer with JSW groups for 18 months. But he always wanted to become an entrepreneur and hence, he quit his job to fulfill his dream. He started Foodbox with a small investment. His grandmother Indiramma and aunts Sandhya, Usha were the first chefs of Foodbox. The taste of the homemade food became an instant success.
“Initially, we were delivering 40 food boxes but now we have over 16,000 registered users and we are delivering over 2,000 food boxes a week. We have a team of 20 executives including chefs, delivery executives, helpers and administrators,” he adds.
The team members decide and inform their registered customers the items on their menu the following day. The customer can then place the order either through WhatsApp or a phone call. Most of the customers they serve are seniors, elderly parents and office-goers. He says they realised the huge potential in their business when a number of housewives too started ordering food from them. 35 per cent of their clients are doctors. Many corporate and other working professionals have become our regular customers.
“We are the first players to venture into something like this with a pre-fixed menu, homecooked food and home delivery services, he says. Experimenting with something like this in a “conservative tier-2 city such as Mysuru” is a challenge. “Employing the right people to work with is the biggest challenge we face. And since we’re in the catering business, it involves daily operational costs. Which is why, every employee is a stake holder in the company, so that they work with maturity. Our advice to budding entrepreneurs and startups is to have perseverance. That’s the secret. Work hard and focus well to achieve your goals,” adds Murali. The startup also trains its employees to perform all tasks and chores right from management of kitchen and supplies to packaging and cleaning.
They will be expanding their operations to Bengaluru this year, and will be launching a mobile application soon. They will also be opening more outlets in Mysuru. The next big step for Foodbox is to make it a nationwide venture, delivering homefood right at your doorstep.
“God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers. Mothers could not be everywhere, so we created Foodbox,” say the founders of Foodbox. To place orders, contact on 96202 12227.
Special Menu on wednesday and thursday
Traditional food is served on Wednesdays which include Pineppale Obbitu, Nuchinaonde, Majjige Huli, Hayagreeva, veg roll and chapathis. On Thursdays, the menu includes a Chinese fair, momos, fried rice amd gobi manchuri. But the most popular food items are besibele bath, puliyogre, lemon rice, north Indian and south Indian meals.