Kolkata-based Debaditya Chaudhury wears many hats, and likes to twirl them with aplomb. An MBA from IISWBM, he is the MD of Chowman Hospitality and Co-owner of Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2 restaurants. A keyboardist of ‘Lakkhich-hara’ rock band, he can often be found performing at their live and studio sessions.
In fact, he was a musician before he entered the culinary world. “As a young boy, I would constantly sample my schoolmates’ tiffin boxes and review them. So, this dive from music to food was unsurprising to those around me,” he laughingly explained.
After working with a leading PR firm for few years, he launched Chowman in 2010. Two years, later, he collaborated with his older brother, Shiladitya, to introduce Oudh 1590, a period dining restaurant chain in Kolkata.
When Chowman entered the Bengaluru market, the team was unaccustomed to local food choices and habits.
GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT
A lot of brainstorming went into deciding the F&B entity’s name, as Chaudhury wanted the title to emulate a human character. “I wanted to go with ‘Mr Chow in Town’, but we could not get that name registered. I then decided on Chowman, which sounds similar to Chowmein – the first thing most Indians are reminded of when they think about Chinese food,” he reminisced.
When he opened the first 350-sqaure feet Chowman outlet at Golfgreen, Chaudhury dipped into his earnings from music gigs when Lakkhichhara performed across the country and overseas. These funds were used to build the F&B brand from scratch, create a unique décor and import various sauces, crockery and cutlery from across South East Asia to give the cuisine a genuine touch.
This touch of authenticity was essential since starting a Chinese restaurant in Kolkata, which is home to probably the largest Chinese hood in India, was a tricky affair. However, growing near one of South Kolkata’s oldest Indo-Chinese restaurants, Chaudhury would see crowds flocking to the establishment, enjoying the fusion fare.
Hence, when he launched Chowman, he decided to introduce bona fide and traditional Chinese delicacies. Bowing to popular demand, the menu also has a few dishes prepared in the traditional Kolkata Chinese style.
“We do not serve the archetypal food that many restaurants offer in the name of Chinese cuisine. From Chowman’s décor to our dishes and even its presentation, everything reflects China’s ethos. We introduced many authentic dishes from the country, which people of Kolkata were unaware about,” Chaudhury proudly claimed.
BRINGING FINE DINING TO THE MASSES
Before launching Chowman, Chaudhury did his market research by visiting various Asian countries to get an insight into the culture and culinary habits. He visited China to not just sample the traditional dishes, but also understand their artistry in food preparation.
“I wanted to democratise fine dining by offering food and ambiance that was at par with any high street restaurant, but coupled with affordable pricing. That is why most Chowman outlets are set amidst quaint localities rather than malls,” Chaudhury explained.
There was another reason for adopting an inclusive dining experience at Chowman – he wanted to start cloud kitchens in Kolkata that would provide authentic Chinese fare. “Even our delivery packages included chopsticks; something no Chinese restaurant provided when we started in 2013,” Chaudhury asserted.
All these moves helped the F&B establishment break even in its first year. With an eye on the future, Chaudhury ploughed profits right back into the business without relying on external funding sources. Even as he chalked out its expansion plans, he was determined that Chowman would be a company-owned-company operated, without any franchise outlets, to ensure consistency in the quality of service and food.
These measures put it in good stead and the cash till at the counter kept ringing endlessly. “In 2017-18, we registered 25% revenue growth over the previous and it 2018-19, it was 30% over the prior year. In 2019-20 we again had 30% revenue growth,” he affirmed.
Currently, Chowman operates 19 outlets in Kolkata and Bengaluru, including three cloud kitchens in Bengaluru and one in Kolkata. It recently opened another dine-in outlet at Kolkata and Bengaluru, respectively.
PROSPERING DURING THE PANDEMIC
While many restaurants laid off their staff during the pandemic, Chowman bucked this trend. Till 2002, it had 700 employees, not counting team members associated with Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2. Last year, another 100 people were brought on board across India.
“The pandemic badly affected the F&B sector, but it the way for Chowman’s success,” stated Chaudhury. “We opened two outlets in Kolkata and laid out plans for three new cloud kitchens in Bengaluru, which are currently operational.”
Embarking on business in Southern India was not without its challenges. The team was unaccustomed to local food choices and habits. Moreover, the brand recall was low initially, and only Bengalis living in Bangalore knew about Chowman.
When the company started its first cloud kitchen in the city during the lockdown, meeting certain SOPs was equally tough, since it could not import sauces and raw materials. Sometimes, despite having stocks, inter-stake travel restrictions and curfews obstructed the shipment of these supplies from Kolkata to Bangalore.
“Just when we began experimenting with a new location, stringent policies were placed on the F&B industry due to the pandemic. Shifting from our home base to another unfamiliar region was quite difficult. However, we had faith in our fare and belief that our decade-long experience would help us sail through,” Chaudhury added.
LONG-TERM VISION
Like the rest of the industry, the lockdown affected Chowman’s dine-in services overall, resulting to zero sales for a while. However, a strong clientele and goodwill helped boost its food delivery business. This grew by over 50% of pre-2020 figures and Chaudhury hopes that once on-premise dining resumes, the two revenue streams will help Chowman flourish further.
Fortunately, the self-reliance for funds helped him navigate cash flow adroitly since 2020 and pay suppliers and team members on time. He intends to keep a close eye on the balance sheets, while mapping the company’s national expansion.
“I plan to open 18 more units, including dine-in and cloud kitchens, in the next three years across Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. After this, we might go for the first round of funding,” he revealed.
While some private equity companies have already evinced interest in Chowman, offering decent valuation, Chaudhury would like to bide his time. He hopes to three times the current valuation in as many years. “I am in no hurry; I want to take a step back and see my company grow with the support of my team members,” he languidly stated.
At 40 years, he has other plans for life, which extends beyond business. He wants to spend more time with his five-year old daughter, compose good music and keep performing with his rock band. He wants to live his life in accordance to Bryan Adams sang many years ago, “I want to be young, never say no; try anything twice forever and feel like I am still 18 till I die.”
