MBA grad turns his father's dosa eatery into an iconic brand

If you're looking for buttery dosas and soft idlis, Ram ki Bandi stands out which was first set up by Lakshman Rao Shinde in 1989. Here is how his son, Ram, turned his father's dosa cart into Hyderabad's most iconic eatery brand.

A lot of MBA grads dream of starting their own successful ventures. Ram Shinde, who completed his MBA from a university in Hyderabad was no different. However, at the time of graduation, instead of starting his own business, he joined his father’s dosa and Idli cart 'Ram ki Bandi' in Hyderabad.

It started from simple beginnings as Lakshman Rao began his venture by selling dosas (Indian pancakes) and idli at a push-cart stall on the roadside. Even in times of financial crises, they continued to put in their best efforts and were able to eke out a decent profit by offering quality food at affordable prices.

A renewed ‘Ram ki Bandi’

Ram took over in 2011 and followed the same routine as his father before him. However, Ram quickly noticed that their income hardly rose. They were up against bigger outlets that served a greater number of people. So Ram introduced variety to their menu and added many items which had twists as compared to other foods commonly served at that time. For example, he added the Schezwan dosa, Tawa idli, cheese dosa, paneer dosa, plain dosa, pizza dosa, and many other amazing dosas. People loved these and started buying a lot more than they were used to. These dishes provided customers with something they couldn't get at other restaurants.

While the plain dosa cost INR 50, the new ones with a twist are priced over INR 100. As a result, he started offering pizza dosa, which was made out of dosa batter and priced at a whopping INR 150! It was an instant hit with his regulars.

Deliciousness made easy

The early morning hours at Nampally proved to be extremely fruitful for the father-son duo catering to customers like daily wage workers, office-goers, and businessmen alike.

Ram shares an incident where one of the customers asked him if they would open a bit earlier. The reason being most employees leave their night shift at 3 AM.

The next day, the father-son duo opened Ram ki Bandi at 3 am. Workers who were on their way home from the night shift and office-goers who stopped by before clocking in were hungry enough to gobble up the meals that were put on plates. It was the biggest sale they ever made by catering to more than 100 customers in a day. Before they knew it, the stall was busy all throughout the 24-hour period.

Investing in ideas and people

In early 2020, Ram got an offer from two regular customers - Sachin and Harsh Jain to expand the reach of his business. They believed in him, the business, and the food, and were more than willing to invest. Sachin and Harish had been following the results of his dishes, so they wanted to assist in whatever way they could to bring his menu to more people! Ram and the customers promoted the business on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. And by 2021, he established five outlets of Ram ki Bandi around Hyderabad! He also introduced a franchise model for his business.

In order to address the difficulty of tracking and monitoring his customers during operating hours, Ram employed 70 other people who now cater to more than 1000 customers a day. Ram's father is now taking a well-needed break from toiling hard at the stall due to his son's efforts - not bad for a man who grew fruits on his farm!

People visit the stall because they’re excited about the unique experience of trying out a street-side restaurant that is the talk of the town and would remain so. They come back to Ram ki Bandi not only because of the food but also for other reasons that make it unique. The tasty street-style dosas are always warm and crispy, ready in a jiffy from the best batter in town! The ever-growing menu opens up so many new options to regular customers – Ram ki Bandi has inspired some absolutely fantastic reviews! Not only is their food delicious but they promise full satisfaction with every order and price that's more than reasonable!

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Updated On: 28 Sep'21, 02:07 AM IST