R. Chandra: Mohammed, it’s a pleasure to have you here. Could you start by telling us a bit about your background?
Mohammed Bhol: Absolutely, Raamesh. I come from a food catering background. My grandfather started a traditional biryani business in the late 1950s. My family is quite popular for the Bori Thal, where eight people sit around and eat together. I’m a trained chef by profession, having completed my culinary education at Raicham Aurangabad. I had the good fortune of working with Gordon Ramsay in London, where I honed my craft. After returning to Bombay, I realized that I needed to carve my own path, which led me to explore various ventures in the food industry.
R. Chandra: That’s quite a journey! How did your experience shape your approach to creating House of Biryan?
Mohammed Bhol: My diverse background in food, from traditional chef training to setting up successful restaurants and consulting for brands, gave me a unique perspective. I noticed that while there are large-scale brands for burgers and pizzas, no one had cracked the code for biryani on a pan-India level. Biryani is a deeply emotional dish, influenced by community, culture, and region. Our mission with House of Biryan is to make Indian food approachable, focusing on taste, consistency, quality, and convenience.
R. Chandra: It’s impressive how quickly House of Biryan has grown. Can you share some insights into your biryani journey?
Mohammed Bhol: We’ve been doing this for the last decade. Before House of Biryan, I co-founded and successfully exited another biryani startup. House of Biryan started in November 2022, and in less than two years, we’ve become the number two biryani brand in the world. We started with a focus on the best product and freshest ingredients, which led to rapid expansion. We now have nine stores in Bombay and ten in Delhi, with three live and seven more opening soon. We handle over 1,000 orders a day in two cities.
R. Chandra: Your journey is inspirational for entrepreneurs. How did you and your co-founder come together to create House of Biryani, and what were some early challenges?
Mohammed Bhol: My co-founder, Mikhail, and I go way back to culinary school. We’ve known each other for 20 years. One crucial piece of advice for anyone starting a business is to find a solid co-founder who complements your skills and with whom you have mutual trust. The initial days of a startup have more lows than highs, so it’s important to have someone who can rally with you and celebrate small wins. Early on, our challenge was chasing growth too quickly in our previous ventures. With House of Biryan, we focused on the product first, ensuring we didn’t dilute our core offering.
R.Chandra: What sets House of Biryani apart from other players in the Indian food industry?
Mohammed Bhol: We take a young and fun approach. Our main consumer base is aged 18 to 35. We’ve launched unique categories like Cape Sad Scale, a mix of Indian and Asian flavours, contributing 30% of our revenue. We offer high-quality, consistent experiential dining products, like our range of galatis, available for home delivery. Our focus is on taste and creating a brand that’s approachable and enjoyable without delving too much into traditional authenticity.
R. Chandra: Could you share some insights into your menu development process and how you ensure quality and authenticity?
Mohammed Bhol: Our menu focuses on unique flavours and proteins, like jackfruit and capsa. Each biryani is distinct, not just a protein swap. We introduced “Meri Wali Biryani,” allowing customers to customize their biryani with their preferred flavours, spice levels, and proteins. This level of customization has been very successful, with around 750 to 1,000 orders per month.
R. Chandra: That’s fascinating. How do you approach scaling your business, especially in such a competitive sector?
Mohammed Bhol: Scaling in the food business requires a focus on core expertise and not being a jack of all trades. We’ve learned from our previous experiences and now prioritize the product above all else. We maintain a certain average order value to ensure profitability and leverage marketplaces like Swiggy and Zomato to reach more customers. Our goal is to expand to other metro cities like Pune and Bangalore while keeping our food quality consistent.
R. Chandra: Thank you, Mohammed, for sharing your incredible journey and insights. Your approach to innovation in the food industry is truly inspiring.
Mohammed Bhol: Thank you, Raamesh. It was a pleasure discussing our journey and vision with you.
