TURNING PASSION INTO PROFESSION

The journey of Utopia Food Labs started in 2012 when two foodies, Debajyoti Kar and Sourav Satpathy, both software professionals, quit their jobs to pursue their passion for food. “Our deep interest in cooking is what made us enter the food and beverage industry. After extensive research, we quit our jobs and started our first venture in Marathahalli,” says Founder and CEO, Utopia Food Labs. “One idea that did add to our presence in the Bengaluru market was the brand Owl’s Kitchen, under which we started all night delivery of food in Bengaluru. This was before Food Panda, Swiggy or any of these brands came into being as online food delivery aggregators. Owl’s Kitchen gave us the confidence to tackle the challenges of the food and beverage sector. We were among the first three midnight delivery services in Bengaluru in 2013,” adds Sourav Satpathy, Co-Founder and Marketing Head, Utopia Food Labs.

Currently, the company has 17+ outlets in Bengaluru. “We have a target to open 30 stores next year and would like to have a presence in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and some Tier II cities with some additional brands and business models,” Kar states. The availability of multiple business modelsand cuisines is the unique selling proposition of the company. “Also, the ability to be flexible as perrequirement is one of the reasons we have been accepted well in the industry,” Vipin Kumar, Operations Head, Utopia Food Labs, points out.

Franchise facts

Year of establishment: 2012

Year of initiating franchising: 2017

Total stores: 17 operational, 10 more in the pipeline

Investment: Rs 12 lakhs onwards

Area: QSR model 200 sq. feet

Expected RoI: 8-12 months

Expected breakeven: 2-3 months

Preferred cities and locations: Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad.

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