MAKING KOLI THE COOLEST CUISINE

Could you brief us about the journey of Mi Hi Koli?

How did you revive and grow the business?

Following burgeoning losses and loans we decided to shut the restaurant in 2015. But my intuitive feeling was that quitting was not the right option; the restaurant had the potential to revive and reach new heights. We churned our data of footfalls, POS and advertising and analyzed that the reason for our tumbling growth was the high overhead cost of buffet, extra cuisines and the discontinuation of crucial thalis that were preferred by our regular customers. We made major changes in our business model and were able to restart and attain breakeven in just two months. Presently we serve almost 5,000 people every month.

How are you maintaining the authenticity of food?

We have developed a mechanism to maintain it. We make chicken masala the way people make Maggi noodles. Everything is pre-measured, including the salt. The idea is that whenever in the future we have multiple outlets, the food will be controlled by the central kitchen and its taste would be consistent.

What’s your future expansion plan?

We have just one outlet in Thane and are planning to open two more outlets in the same region in the coming months. Next year we are planning to have 5-7 more outlets and in the future we are aiming to have Mi Hi Koli outlets at every 10-15 km of distance. Currently we are operating through a central kitchen and will be setting up one more central kitchen this month. The central kitchen will have bulk cooking, similar to how brands like Monginis and Naturals operate. The food will be made in the central kitchens and the outlets will just assemble and serve it.

Will future outlets be franchise-owned?

Our upcoming two outlets will be company-owned and post that the future stores will be franchise-owned and company-operated.

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