It is the age of start-ups and entrepreneurship. New restaurants and food chains are innovating to get a foothold in the F&B industry and Eggsplore is a great example of food-innovation. Serving a variety of delicious and innovative dishes with eggs as the main ingredient, Eggsplore is a treat to food lovers, especially egg lovers. This fast-food chain started its journey in 2017 and has seen immense success in a short period. However, every business has its ups and downs. Here is Chandresh Kothari, a co-founder of Eggsplore, talking about his bittersweet journey with the business.
Establishment: Eggsplore was started by Chandresh Kothari, a businessman, Rakesh Rathi, a builder and Krishna Rander, who is a Chartered Accountant. Their rationale behind becoming “eggsplorers” is their love for eggs and the common desire of having a name in the F&B industry.
“Eggsplore is the brainchild of me and my partners and is the outcome of our common love for eggs. We, being a part of other kinds of businesses already, always wanted to get into the F&B segment since it was a common passion. It all started with our first branch in Malad, in November 2017. We are 10-months-old today with seven branches. The growth has been organic.”
“We named our business while designing the menu. The vast exploration we had to do to decide the menu we have today gave birth to the name. We think it is just apt for the brand”, says Chandresh Kothari, about the very attractive and innovative name “Eggsplore”.
Founders: (From left: Krishna Rander, Rakesh Rathi and Chandresh Kothari)
Competition: The Eggsplore team has always been extremely enthusiastic and optimistic about their business. They are of the opinion that positive attitude can take you places.
“I believe competition is healthy for every business. It always keeps you on your toes. To stand out, we make sure to keep innovating by adding fresh recipes, with a lot of variations in flavours and in taste. However, our existing business plan is to give our target customers a visual treat by capturing good social media attention and providing attractive deals and offers, thereby generating repeat business for us.”
Goals and Expansion Plans: Eggsplore founders say that their perpetual goal is to provide their customers with great service, and delicious and quality food at affordable prices. Also, Eggsplore continuously works towards coming up with a wide range of new and relishing preparations. The design and ambience of the restaurant also has an impact on the customers’ reviews.
“We wanted our outlets to be simple yet quirky. The idea was to keep the ambience fun and comfortable for all our customers.”
Eggsplore outlets are now set up in various localities in Mumbai, including Borivali East, Powai, Malad West and Andheri East. The founders have plans of soon expanding the business to various parts of the country.
“We are looking forward to launching new outlets in Thakur Village in Kandivali East, Nagpur, Lucknow and Jaipur, which will open very soon. We are well-prepared to walk on the expansion path and are looking forward to the challenges along the way”, says an “egg-cited” Chandresh.
“Our own website and app for ordering food are soon to be launched. Thus, we will have a strong database of all the orders placed and accurate records. Also, this can solve the problem of miscommunication and help in improving employee productivity.”
Challenges: Every business has its own set of challenges. However, emerging from these challenges creates stronger businesses and successful entrepreneurs. Eggsplore and its founders too have experienced hassles in their journey in terms of investments, cash-flow, marketing and other aspects.
“Every entrepreneur faces financial crisis at some point. Businesses need cash injection to fulfil a myriad of requirements and to get resources. Same was the case with Eggsplore. A common difficulty was not having a great idea on how to market and promote the business.
Also, with eggs being the main ingredient – Chandresh mentions – “We love eggs and had the idea of doing something with this superstar ingredient. The yolk is high in cholesterol, but it is scientifically proven that if you consume cholesterol-rich food, your liver produces less cholesterol, so technically there’s no harm done. The start-up process was difficult on various levels, but we have enjoyed the journey so far. “
Adding further to his take on challenges and hassles of starting a business, Chandresh says,
“The F&B industry has seen numerous food start-ups launching with clear planning and utmost excitement. Some get a hold on the market while others shut down because of numerous challenges. When you start a new business, there will be difficulties. But that’s when it’s the most fun.”
“Each business needs to have a marketing plan that suits the uniqueness of that business. Understanding your target consumer and creating a marketing strategy that best suits your business is important. This will not only improve your sales but also help you to not waste your material and non-material resources.”
Delivery Logistics: Logistics play a major role in any consumer-driven business. Specifically, In the restaurant business, it is necessary to have an efficient logistics for the food to be delivered hot and fresh. Small businesses usually have a limited budget and having their own logistics can be expensive. Partnering with logistics providers is a solution. It can be beneficial for a growing business – the time and resources required to implement effective logistics can be saved by outsourcing them.
“Having your own delivery logistics system is a lot of work. We are associated with Swiggy, Zomato and Foodpanda, and we are currently happy with our delivery partners. They are very professional and as long as our customers are happy, it is all good.”
Undoubtedly, there will be hassles in starting and running a business. But passion is the key. Chandresh Kothari admits to having faced troubles in his journey of “eggsploration”, and in his opinion, having a positive approach to things and being optimistic can help one solve problems. In his giveaway to budding entrepreneurs about how to overcome the hassles of a start-up, Chandresh says,
“The recipe is very simple: Take your work seriously, be open to learning something new every day and enjoy what you do!”