Jab We Ate- Kolkata

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So you are at work and you start the countdown for lunch. You wish you could try something different today. Wouldn’t it be great if you look at the map and say, how about some signature dishes from this region of our country? Well, if you are a resident of Kolkata, you actually might be able to do that. Meet “Jab We Ate”, a food venture that lets you travel through their “thalis”. I caught up with founder Saurabh Dhanuka, who spoke to me about Jab We Ate, its quirky name and his plans to spread joy through food.

Saurabh is a management graduate from IIM C and has worked for almost 8 years in product and digital marketing. He says he always wanted to start a venture of his own and was pondering over the idea for a while until he finally knew-“it had to be food. I travelled a lot through my work.  My visits to cities like Mumbai, Bangalore and Gurgaon, made me realize that there is a lot of potential in food.  The idea became more concrete during one of my trips to Mumbai. I was in Mumbai for a month and the first few days I spent trying out a lot of local Mumbai food. In 10 days though I started longing for some good Bengali food, and that is when it hit me. There must be so many people working in Kolkata longing for some authentic food from their region.  That’s when I came with the idea of providing regional thalis, the basic concept “Jab We Ate” is built on.”

If you look at their website, Jab We Ate offers 10 different thalis, including options like a simple “Maa ke Haath Ka Khaana”, a “Yenna Rascala” South Indian thali, “Gujarat ka swaad” Gujrati thali and a lot more. For the globetrotting palate in you, you will also find other options like Italian and Chinese combos. I asked Saurabh how he designed these thalis to ensure authenticity and knew what he should serve in them. “Since I studied at IIM-C, I had batch mates from all over the country. I called them up to know the quintessential dishes that a thali from their region would have for sure. I even spoke to their mothers and grandmothers to make sure that the right dishes were present. For eg., our Rajasthani Thali has “Gatte Ki Sabji” and our South Indian Thali has “Uthapam with chutney and Sambhar” among other things. We also make sure that all our dishes are vegetarian.”  Was it challenging to keep it all vegetarian? “Surprisingly no! I know we started the venture hoping to give people a taste of their home away from home. But we also struck a chord among people who crave variety. 40% of our clientele are Bengalis who want to try out something different. People don’t have to go hunting for a place where they can find the food they are in a mood for. They just have to place an order and they can eat in the comforts of their home.”

Saurabh is also a strong advocate of minimizing food wastage and he makes sure this approach is incorporated in his venture. “At Jab We Ate we cook on an order basis. We have cut off times for our lunch and dinner orders. This does not mean we do not accept orders post this time, it’s just that the order will reach them accordingly and not with the other orders that were placed in advance.  If we receive an order for 10 Punjabi Thalis, our chef cooks only 10 thalis. We don’t practice cooking extra and keeping it for later. This way we ensure that all meals are freshly cooked, taste great and are served just like the meals we get at home. Since we don’t cook extra, we do not waste food and cooking in small batches helps us maintain a great quality.”

In his venture, Saurabh is supported by his cousin Anuj Rungta in the operational and marketing aspects. He also has 4 well-experienced chefs on board. “Our chefs each have their own specialities, and based on the orders their responsibilities are divided. For eg one of our chef’s is an expert in Chinese and Italian cooking so he takes up all those orders. We also ensure high standards of quality and cleanliness in our kitchens. It is very common to have surprise visits by my friends, relatives or even neighbours to see if this quality is maintained. Or it could be also to get some direct access to the delicious cooking that is going on. “- he adds with a bit of humor.

Jab We Ate was launched in July 2015, and Saurabh says that a lot of people are enjoying the spread they get to choose from. “We have about 22-23% repeat customers, and we also observe people trying out all our thalis. They order Punjabi one day, Gujarati the next day and Rajasthani the day after. This way they are able to try out our products and kick the monotony of eating the same food at work every day. In fact, there have been instances where people have ordered our food to carry with them when they are travelling. I know building a brand takes time, but I can see that a lot of people like our products and the response has been favorable.”  And the catchy name makes your venture hard to forget. “That is exactly what I was looking for in the name. Something catchy, easy to remember and something that relates to food. That is how I came up with Jab We Ate and our tagline- Cooking Happiness.”

Speaking about challenges Saurabh says one of the biggest challenge for him was finding people to deliver the food. “As I have said earlier I want to deliver food which is fresh. Delivery plays a vital role in this. Initially, we had trouble finding delivery boys who knew the streets of Kolkata. There were times when I and my cousin delivered the food so that it made it to the customer at the right time. Now I have tied up with a venture that helps me out in this aspect.  The other challenge was managing variety orders at the same time. This is why we have brought about the system of having different chefs each with their own specialities. So if we get 10 orders for a Chinese combo and 10 for a simple thali, we can still manage the cooking and keep it all fresh.”

One of the biggest lessons he says an entrepreneurial journey teaches is to stay patient. “My advice to anyone interested in starting this journey is to be patient. Many people think that they will start making profits in 2-3 months and when they don’t, they get demotivated. They finally shut the shop even before its due. You have to be patient and wait for at least a year and a half to decide anything. I was also very sure from the beginning to keep my venture food-centric.  Just think of all your customers and see if a technology interface is required. Your customers between the ages of 50-60 would still prefer to call you for an order. They don’t need apps.” Saurabh also adds that it is vital to stay focused on your venture and at the same time one needs to be realistic. “One has to be one step ahead of their decisions. There has to be a plan B if things don’t work out. This is not just for your venture, in general, but even for operational aspects of it. If my chef who specializes in desserts decides to leave tomorrow for any reason, I should have a plan in place for what I would do. There will be no time for you to wait and decide.”

Jab We Ate was the official food partner for a recent event at IIM-C. They also have started the “Be Your Own Chef” initiative to bring on board talented home chefs. Jab We Ate’s future plans include midnight food delivery services and 4 centralized kitchens to expand their reach in Kolkata. “I hope to have a kitchen in each zone of the city to make the delivery process quick and easy. We are also in the process of including a more innovative menu with options that are interesting and not easily available outside.”

One thing that requires a special mention is that apart from practicing the “no food wastage” policy, Jab We Ate also donates 10% of its weekly earnings as food to underprivileged children. In their own way, they are “Cooking Happiness.”

We wish this venture great happiness ahead.

Jab We Ate is a Kolkata based food service that specializes in regional cuisines. Stop by their website  and their Facebook Page  to know more.

Images Courtesy Of Jab We Ate

Jab We Ate Quick Facts