The article highlights the inspiring journey of a woman entrepreneur who started a successful burger chain, The Burger Company, from scratch and turned it into a Rs 40 crore turnover business. It explores the challenges she faced, her strategies for growth, and her vision for the future.
While studying for her MBA, Neelam Singh became interested in the QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) market. She worked in the corporate sector for roughly three years after interning in a restaurant for three months to learn about the QSR industry. She used to skip lunch and eat at roadside eateries to save money for her business during her three-year corporate career, and she ultimately founded her own diner chain in 2018. At the age of 29, Neelam opened the first The Burger Company (TBC) location in Gurugram with a single employee and a budget of Rs 20 lakh.
TBC has evolved into a Rs 40 crore revenue 100-outlet burger business with locations in various states, including Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh, in just four years.
In 2008, she graduated from Delhi Public School in Agra, and in 2011, she earned her BBA from DayalBagh Educational Institution in Agra, as well as her MBA (2011-13) in Marketing from ICFAI (The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India) in Hyderabad. Neelam married Nitesh Dhankhar, whom she met on a dating app, in 2014. Neelam resigned her job in 2016 to open a burger restaurant. She has decided to open a 250-square-foot shop at Global Foyer Mall in Palam Vihar, Gurugram.
During the first several months, she and a young girl who made the meals were the only two individuals who handled the outlet.
The shop was closed during the Covid lockdown, but Neelam was prepared with a franchise concept and sold her first franchise in Delhi in October 2020. TBC now serves 25 different types of burgers, as well as nachos, fries, coolers, shakes, pizzas, crunchos, waffles, and pasta. Every six months, the corporation introduces a new product and eliminates products from the menu that are underperforming. Neelam likes sketching and painting, but she currently prioritises spending time with her two-year-old son Yuvraj Singh Dhankhar.
