Passion, they say, is the key ingredient to run an F&B business. In 2014, a brothers-in-law duo of Piyush Kankaria, a software engineer, and Vikram Khinwasara, with an investor’s background, teamed up to explore potential opportunities in food business in Kolkata. They realised that the city is flooded with an array of options for coffee, tea and various other cuisines. Their vision was to offer a healthier option to people, which will stand out from the rest. after an intense research, they narrowed down to setting up a fresh juice bar called The Yellow Straw (TYS), a first-ever in the city under absolute health Enterprises.
It began with a small outlet near Kolkata high court in 2014 with an initial investment of R30 lakh. combining Kankaria’s culinary expertise and Khinwasara’s enthusiasm for fitness, they ended up mastering the discipline. The brand TYS has since successfully carved a niche for itself in the segment.
“Initially, there was some apprehension as to whether Kolkata, a city of tea drinkers, will spend money for fresh juice. But, people have been admiring our variety of fresh juice options, which have increased our sales volume to make us a trend-setter,” recalls Khinwasara, 44, co-founder, who manages sales, marketing and business expansion. Today, TYS is the largest juice and salad bar chain, with 16 owned QSr outlets known for its fresh juices, shakes, salads and healthy meal options. The outlets are strategically located at the airport, Tata medical centre, Tollygunge club, minto Park, city center 1, Lake mall, Ecospace Business Park, acropolis mall, Dalhousie and South city mall.
TYS offers a variety of healthy options, through the use of the freshest of ingredients. “Our USP is our commitment to purity, using the best technology for juice extraction and serving shakes made from real fruits and not any artificial syrups or concentrates,” explains Kankaria, 39, co-founder, responsible for purchase and operations of the company.
TYS uses cold press technology for retention of natural flavours and whole nutrients. Juices and foods are freshly prepared at the outlets. Some of the top picks are watermelon juice, Valencia orange juice, yummy tummy straw, red berry straw, skin glow straw, mango shakes, strawberry shakes, Dayes banana shakes, watermelon feta salad, fruits & nuts mix salad, rajma galoti wrap. TYS maintains a strict quality control system at the central purchase and outlet levels.
The company has achieved a turnover of R16 crore, with an impressive EBIDTa margin of 13-14 per cent and employing over 80 people, including senior executives. after the pandemic, TYS’ focus has shifted, in tune with the people becoming more health-conscious. The emphasis is now more on hygiene, quality food, which has helped TYS grow at a faster space. The company is now planning to expand to other cities in north and south India by the end of the year.
India is the fastest growing market for the healthy food and beverages, with a CAGR close to 20 per cent. It is expected to reach $30 billion by 2028. The segment attracts immense investment opportunities. “Now people avoid tasty junk food and, instead, prefer healthy food to maintain good health and happy life. So, the demand for healthy The partners: QSr is on the rise,” healthier says hemang Bhat, alternative defines owner, has Juice Bar, TYS’s success mumbai, who runs
11 stores.
TYS sources fruits from vendors across the city, which are then kept in its central store-cum-kitchen, which conforms to all food safety standards. “To streamline operations and enhance profitability, we have invested significantly in robust back-end IT systems,” says Kankaria. “These systems effectively manage real-time inventory control, utilising alerts and checks to prevent stock shortages”. With features like an auto-indent function, the brand intelligently predicts and optimises stock levels for the next two days, minimising perishable stock damage and maintaining freshness. TYS delivers juice, salad and food to the customers through food aggregators Swiggy and Zomato too. It also has a direct delivery system for orders through the company’s portal.
Khinwasara rules out the option to raise any sort of funding, at least for the next two years. “We are PaT positive and well-positioned to sustain and even surpass growth trajectory,” he contends. The duo’s aim is to achieve a revenue of Rs.100 crore in the next five years, by setting up stores in 10 more cities, to transform the company from a regional to a national player in the segment.
SaJaL BOSE
sajal.bose@businessindiagroup.com