MEAL TICKET These entrepreneurs have identified niches in the city’s food market that they believe will thrive even in a slowing economy, says Pankti Mehta

More than bread and butter

MEAL TICKET These entrepreneurs have identified niches in the city’s food market that they believe will thrive even in a slowing economy, says Pankti Mehta

WHAT: Bagelwala! is an eatery in Bandra that says it serves authentic New York-style bagels. The café seats 12 people indoors and 14 outdoors. The menu includes a variety of bagels—plain and with sun-dried tomato, poppy seed and onion, with cream cheese and a range of vegetable and meat fillings. The simplest version costs Rs 90. Bagelwala! also delivers a Baker’s dozen, a selection of 13 bagels, across the city.
WHO: Sanal Nair, 28, who worked as a brand manager in an advertising firm for five years, and three friends who live abroad founded the business, using their own money. His friends helped Nair set up the operations, which he now manages on his own. He is completely hands-on, even helping to make the bagel sandwiches and taking orders at the Bandra eatery. Nair holds a bachelor of management studies degree from Mithibai College.

WHEN: Nair first set up a stall at the NH7 music festival in Pune last November to test his bagels. Then in January, he began a home-delivery service, finally opening the café in August.

HOW: Nair and his friends spent eight months from April last year analysing bagels in New York and comparing them with those available in Mumbai to identify the differences. Nair took a sabbatical from work, during which he decided to start Bagelwala!. They then experimented with the recipe to get the consistency they wanted. Nair says the technique they chose involves poaching the dough before baking it to make it crunchy outside and chewy inside. Nair says it was a challenge to find the high-protein flour required to achieve this texture. Right now, Bagelwala! uses imported cream cheese but eventually, plans to make it themselves.
Because the Jewish community runs most bagel houses in New York, Nair asked his American Jewish friends in Mumbai to taste different versions before zeroing in on a recipe. He then rented a place he liked. Nair says he and his partners do plan to look for venture funding in the future.
 

  WHY: Nair and his friends noticed that the US had many specialist eateries, but not India. They initially thought of setting up a franchise of an existing brand, but that was turning out to be expensive. They decided to create their own product, zeroing in on bagels because most of the ones available in Mumbai were bun-like and closer to pav-bread.