How This Jaipur Based Startup is Catering to Health Freaks

An IT graduate, Aaditya Pancharya holds a Master’s degree from Singapore Management University. He worked with Citibank Singapore for over a period of 2 years before realizing his love for food. Exposed to varieties of healthy and world cuisines in Singapore, he couldn’t find similar foods in Jaipur when he came back to India for handling his father’s business. That’s when he thought of starting his own café serving food which he loved during his Singapore days. Here are the excerpts from the interview:     

What made you enter the food biz leaving behind your IT career?

Passion plus food made me enter into the food business. I realized the fact that everybody here in Jaipur is eating unhealthy food and I wanted to change that. I wanted to propose an idea of eating healthy to everyone for a better life.  That’s when the idea of opening a restaurant came into my mind which is now known as Thank God It’s Healthy.

How much money have you put in to come up with this cafe?

It’s a bootstrapped venture by me and my best friend, Raunak Singhvi who is also the co- founder. Recently, we received funding from few investors which we don't want to disclose.

Why, Thank God It’s Healthy?

I believe that when you hear the name you should understand what it literally stands for. Firstly, it is catchy and not boring. Secondly, when you hear the name TGIH, people know we are dealing in healthy food which people can relate to. My first goal is to make an impact that could help me in creating the brand value.   

What all is served in your menu? Name the cuisines which are most preffered by the people.

We serve a mix of healthier options. Many guests like Lebanese, Hummus, and Falafel Hummus Wrap. Then there are guests who like general stuffs like Grilled Chicken and Grilled Paneer options. Salads and Fruit Platters are other cuisines which are preferred by the people.

How are your products different from other restaurants making them healthy and nutritious?

The basic thing we do is that we don’t use any kind of daily products like maida, frying, and deep frying. Whatever we are using is completely whole wheat. If we are using oil then that’s only Olive oil and not refined oil. We emphasise a lot on our raw materials. Our whole food is completely calorie counted. If we are supposed to give 140 grams of chicken, then that would be exact 140 grams. We are quite precise and the customers know what exactly they are eating.

Who is your target audience?

Corporates, people who are working and are into fitness industry are under our radar. I see may people preparing in Jaipur these days for competitions like Mr India, Mr Jaipur etc. Our sure shot target will be those people who are aware what they have to eat.

What is the average footfall?

Average footfalls will be about 100 orders a day. The figure rises to approx 130 orders a day during weekends.

What are your plans going forward?

Initially we came up with a QSR model as we had a smaller boat. Now customer’s expectation towards us has changed. They want to sit, chill and relax like most of the other people in Jaipur do. So now we are in the process of expanding our space and a bigger unit is going to be launched in March 2018 covering 700 square feet. That will be our first bigger unit followed by another one in Vaishali Nagar which is planned for August 2018.

How about pricing?

Our pricing is very affordable. People in Jaipur love to eat kachauris and all that stuff. So we make sure that our prices are affordable which can fit to everyone’s pocket.  

How much competition do you see from nearby markets?

I don’t take anyone as a competition rather I prefer taking it as a healthy competition because the more you experience this sort of food the more you develop the flavor for it. If you don’t develop the flavor then you can’t really enjoy the delicacies. There are limited healthy options and I would really love that there are more healthy cafes in Jaipur in upcoming days.