Two friends from India launched an Indian snack restaurant in the UK where they sell Mumbai’s Vada Pav for Rs. 100/-. The two plan to sell the Indian street food globally.
Vada Pav, a street food from the Indian state of Maharashtra, might become the next McBurger, as two friends plan to sell it globally. A deep-fried potato dumpling is placed inside a bread bun that has been cut practically in half through the middle. It is usually served with one or more chutneys. I prefer vada pav to burgers because the Indian snack has a stronger and spicier taste when served with “Ghati Masala,” a special blend of spices. Sujay Sohni and Subodh Joshi, both from Mumbai, have been friends since their childhood. The two joined hands to launch a hotel, called ‘Shrikrishna Vada Pav’ (SKVP), in London where they have been selling Vada Pav since August 15, 2010.
A visitor to this hotel gets to taste authentic Maharashtrian dishes. But, the most popular bis Vada Pav, which the hotel sells for one pound. Rs.101.72 per 1 Pound is the current GBP to INR rate of exchange.
Sohni and Joshi have opened restaurant chains in the last ten years and are now planning to sell the Vada Pav globally.
Despite the lockdown, they opened the fifth restaurant in August, employing 40 people. By selling Vada Pav, the two became billionaires.
Other Indian dishes were gradually added to the menu. Vada Pav comes in a variety of flavours, including Butter Vada Pav, Schezwan Vada Pav, and others. If you look at the menu, you’ll notice that only Indian and Marathi dishes are available.
Sujay, who was born in Thane, worked as a manager in a five-star hotel in London. However, after losing his job as a result of the recession, he arrived at the home of his friend ‘Subodh Joshi.’
During his speech, Sujay stated, “I don’t even have enough money to eat Vada Pav.”
During the stressful times, Sohani had the idea to start a vada pav chain in London.
Soon after, the duo decided to give it some serious thought and began looking for potential venues in the city where they could set up shop.
They finally found a spot in a ‘Polish ice cream cafe’ after much searching. The cafe was losing money, so the owner rented it out for £400 (INR 35,000) per month.
Seven years later, three branches and a £5,000,000 annual revenue (INR 4.39 crores approx). Later, the duo became a force to be reckoned with on London’s street food scene.
Sohani and Joshi opened their stall to Londoners on August 15, 2010. They began selling Vadapav for £1 and Dabeli for £1.50. The big question for them, however, was how to attract customers. They decided to advertise as a result of this. However, it would be more expensive. As a result, they put a concept into action.
On the streets of London, the two began handing out Vada Pav for free. This led them to advertise the vada pav as ‘Indian burgers, cheap and cool.’ The Indian street food quickly started selling in London like hot cakes.
Both of their marketing funds came in handy, but now a large space was required. At the same time, a Punjabi hotel approached him and offered to do business with him.
The two agreed immediately, and the business, which began as a small stall, grew to a business with an annual revenue of INR 4.40 crores. They quickly opened another restaurant in Harrow, London.
Celebrities and political figures, in addition to ordinary people, frequent here. Raj Thackeray, the president of the MNS, has also visited these establishments. Aside from that, numerous Bollywood and Marathi artists visit to sample the Vada Pav.
Subodh and Sujoy plan to open SKVP restaurants in different countries. They are now both working to take the SKVP brand international.
