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“The blend of tradition & innovation led to our massive growth”
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Monday, 26 May, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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 Today, with over 200 plus Chalu Apna Desi Chinese, Banaraswala, The Indian Momo Co., and Wh-eat Burger by VVM, outlets across India and abroad, and a vision to build a $100 million food empire by 2027. The company is setting the gold standard in homegrown QSR. Vibhanshu Mishra shares his views about innovation, sustainable strategies, and more, in email interaction with Abhitash Singh. Excerpts
From a hotel operations trainee to the founder of multiple successful QSR brands, what key turning point or experience do you credit as the foundation of your entrepreneurial journey?
My entrepreneurial journey took its turning point in 2020, when I chose to break away from the world of well-established hospitality brands and venture into something of my own and build Chalu Aapna Desi Chinese. It was a leap of great magnitude, given all that was happening in the world, the Covid-19 pandemic then, but I couldn't help feeling an overwhelming urge to do something more substantial. I set out to create a brand that wasn't merely about good-tasting food but also about health, realness, and transparency, elements that were largely absent in the conventional QSR category. My experience in hospitality had taught me a great deal—how to read customer preference, how the market flows, and what actually makes a food experience unforgettable. All of that learning came together to build the foundation of Chalu. It wasn't purely about business; it was about chasing a dream and rethinking what fast, casual dining could be.
Chalu Chinese has seen exponential growth with 200 plus outlets across India and abroad. What challenges did you face while building such a unique Indo-Chinese concept, and how did you ensure it remained true to its “desi” identity?
Building Chalu Chinese was not an easy task for us. One of our biggest challenges was changing customer perceptions regarding Indo-Chinese food, which is predominantly perceived as a food with unhealthy ingredients such as MSG. It took considerable marketing and education efforts to convince people that our food is not just tasty but also guilt-free. We tried to emphasise transparency, showcasing our natural ingredient usage and the fact that it did not contain MSG, palm oil, or artificial colors, and to keep our 'desi' heritage intact, we made sure to keep our recipes traditional in nature but innovated to make them healthier. We also invested our effort into employee training so that they could understand and convey the unique value proposition of our brand. This blend of tradition and innovation appealed to our consumers and led to our massive growth.
Banaraswala seems to be an emotional and personal tribute. How do you balance emotional storytelling with commercial success when launching a brand rooted deeply in tradition and memory?
Banaraswala is actually a very personal and emotional tribute to my childhood as well as to my city of Banaras. Combining emotional storytelling with commercial success requires a fine balance of respecting tradition and pleasing modern consumers. We do this by giving each part of the brand the richness of Banaras' cultural heritage, from menu items such as Tamatar Chaat and Banarasi Kachori Sabzi to store design incorporating a mandir, vibrant colors, detailed artwork, and live chaat counters reproducing the frantic pace of the streets of Varanasi. It's about providing our clients with a genuine taste and feel that's like they're just there in Banaras. This emotional linkage creates a distinctive brand experience that consumers can connect with. Concurrently, we ensure commercial viability through high standards of food quality, service, and innovation. We continuously collect feedback and modify our offerings to cater to the changing tastes of our consumers while remaining anchored to our heritage.
With the launch of brands like The Indian Momo Co., Wh-eat Burger by VVM, and Twenty1 Food Courts, how do you identify the ‘next big thing’ in the Indian food and beverage space?
Finding the 'next big thing' is a mix of market research, consumer understanding, and a little bit of gut feeling. For example, The Indian Momo Co./Chalu Momos was started to fulfil the increasing need for street food in a more hygienic and convenient environment. Wh-eat Burger by VVM came into existence with the whole idea of the increasing healthy food trend, offering burgers that are healthy as well as tasty. Twenty1 Food Courts was established to cater to the demand for varied food choices within one place. We try to remain sensitive to consumer trends, draw on our industry experience, and continually innovate to serve the changing needs of our consumers. Our commitment to sustainability, health, and authenticity also helps us to spot opportunities that reinforce these pillars.
Sustainability, health-conscious eating, and authenticity are clearly important themes in your brands. How do you ensure consistency in ingredient quality and customer experience across so many outlets, especially in diverse regions?
Maintaining consistency in multiple outlets, particularly in geographically diverse areas, has been our top priority. We have made strict procurement standards to buy high-quality ingredients from our trusted vendors. Our supply chain is engineered to preserve the quality and freshness of ingredients, and we test the quality on a regular basis. For customer experience, we spend a lot on staff training so that each member of staff knows our brand values and can provide top-class service. We also leverage technology to standardise cooking procedures and recipes so that the food tastes exactly the same irrespective of the outlet you go to. Ongoing feedback systems enable us to keep improving and never to let our standards slide.
As someone who has worked globally and now aims to make Banaraswala and other brands international successes, how do you adapt traditional Indian tastes for international palates without compromising on authenticity?
Modifying traditional Indian flavours for global taste buds is a delicate art of balance—one that I do with respect for our roots as well as an awareness of global taste. Having worked in various regions, I have realised that food is as much a function of familiarity as it is about discovery. When expanding a brand like Banaraswala internationally, the initial step is learning the domestic market, what they like to eat, how much spice they can handle, which foods they must avoid, and even how they feel about eating Indian food. We don't think about reducing the identity of our food but about carefully reformulating it to make it more accessible. For instance, we could modify heat levels, incorporate milder versions of classic masalas, or add known textures or ingredients without altering the essence of the recipe. The secret is subtlety. We maintain the essence of the original taste profile so that the heart of the dish is preserved. Our objective is to present an eating experience that's authentic as well as accessible so that a first-time consumer of Indian food feels invited, not intimidated. It's really all about telling the story of food. Each dish brings the history of where it originated, and our responsibility is to make that story ring true for people on the planet—without losing its voice.
Your aim is to build a $100 million food enterprise by 2027. What strategies or innovations are you betting on to achieve this ambitious milestone and what advice would you give to aspiring food entrepreneurs looking to build scalable brands like yours?
To achieve our vision of growing our food business to $100 million by the year 2027, we are concentrating on some major strategies. First, we are building our presence both at home and abroad, and we plan to penetrate new markets such as Dubai. In Q1 of 2025, we have plans of expansion and opening new outlets in Shri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, and the Infosys Campus in Pune. Secondly, we are constantly innovating and expanding our brand offerings to address changing customer needs. We are also adopting technology to drive our operations, become more efficient, and provide a consistent customer experience. We are also investing in sustainability and health-focused initiatives so that we stay in tune with worldwide trends. To young food entrepreneurs, I would say remain committed to your passion, be flexible, and always keep the customer experience paramount. Emphasise developing a solid brand identity and use technology and innovation to take your business to scale.
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