HYDERABAD: On the busy Satyam road in Ameerpet where scores of aspiring engineers undergo a multitude of courses in software, an eatery named BTech Biryanis couldn’t have been more appropriate. Founded by an engineering graduate Yeshwanth Alikatti, the cosy place is grabbing eyeballs and taste buds. As he runs through his chores between the kitchen and the front office, CE chats up with him to know his story.
“My mom is a very good cook. I love eating and cooking and I want people to taste what I’ve cooked. Though I was doing odd jobs after my graduation I was keen on setting up a business. I sat down with a friend and decided to start an eatery. After shuffling a few names we decided on BTech Biryanis since I wanted to incorporate an aspect of engineering into it since it was made by an engineer,” says Yeshwanth, who incorporated every branch and stream of engineering into the restaurant’s interiors.
“The reason I chose Ameerpet is that I have noticed that there is a lack of good food and the places that serve good food tend to charge a lot. I wanted to bridge the gap between an affordable price and a good meal,” says Yeshwanth. He got financial support from his parents. “They still help. I will take their help till I can expand my business,” he says.
Shifting from engineering to a completely different field is a bold move, especially in our country. How did his parents react? “Well, the reaction was similar to any other Indian parent. They did try to persuade me to choose a career that would give me a good salary for me to settle down soon. But I ended up convincing my mom and in the end, she gave in,” he says with a smile.
The multi-tasker
When he launched the restaurant in February this year, he hired a cook to help him out since he needed to take care of admin responsibilities. His passion remains cooking. He plans to hire more people and shift his focus entirely to cooking and adding his take on already famous dishes, thus expanding their menu. “We serve different kinds of biryani like the traditional Hyderabadi dum biryani and other variations like Chicken 65 biryani or Chicken lollipop biryani. But what we do differently compared to other restaurants is that we serve our biryani with three cut pieces, unlike others who sell theirs with just one random piece of chicken. This way we can bring out the flavours of the masala better in the biryani,” he adds.
Expanding his business is part of his future endeavours. “I want to open more branches of this restaurant. I am planning to open a second one by the end of this year. But unlike a franchisee, I want to have ownership of all the branches. I have friends who are interested in investing in my restaurant so they could manage the other branches while I manage the home branch,” he informs.