She makes food fit for the Gods

Kainaz Messman has taken her passion for food and converted it into an entrepreneurial venture. She knew exactly what she wanted to do in life since she was 9. Two years ago, she started Theobroma, a patisserie located in South Mumbai's Colaba Causeway. With an initial investment of a crore which she borrowed fromm her father, Kainaz lead the way for her family into the food retail business. Given her passion and interest in food, Kainaz didn’t think that the business of food would serve as a challenge.

She told CNBC-TV18, "I always thought that the biggest part of the food business is getting food combinations right - getting the right look of a desert, the right presentation but, little did I know that when it is your own business, you have to think about cost and staffing issues and bureaucracy and corruption, you know things sort of overwhelm you. And there are so many facets to the food business - it is not just about good products and good service with a smile - it’s a lot of things and for that we were not prepared."

Dealing with bureaucracy was not the only hurdle Kainaz needed to overcome; her greatest challenge came when she needed to add to her already demanding role in the kitchen. She recalls, "There are some days when I’ve to be a chef, there are some days when I’ve to be a baker, I’ve to be the cleaner, I’ve to be the waitress, I’ve to be a cashier. It really depends on where the need is and when it is your business, you don’t think twice about it, you just do what needs to get done. And the truth is that my passion and my soul lies in the kitchen. There was no place in the world I'd rather be, I would rather be in the kitchen with my food - experimenting, decorating the desert doing my own thing - but I’ve to fulfill every role that is required of me."

Turning entrepreneur has not shifted Kainaz from her main focus - her love for food. She does realize that being a great chef does not necessarily guarantee her a successful business. It is however the combination of good food and successful business practices that will ensure Theobroma’s success.

She acknowledges, "There are a lot of very good chefs that do not succeed in their business proposition because they have just not been able to make that transition and there are lot of businessmen who can never be chefs. So, it just has to be a combination." Kainaz does realize that in order for Theobroma to succeed in Mumbai’s competitive food market, she needs to constantly cook up innovative ideas and techniques to ensure customer loyalty.

The important thing is also to be innovative to keep experimenting because as Kainaz says, "what I’ve noticed is the clientele in Bombay has a short attention span. Today, they like something tomorrow they may not even look at it. The trick is that you have to keep offering them something new, something to look forward to, something to come back to." And to ensure that her clients keep coming back to Theobroma, Kainaz makes sure she travels the world annually to keep herself up-to-date with the global food trends.

She says, "I make it a point every year to go and learn something new, even if it’s a really small thing like last year I went and learnt how to make some French biscuits. You know this year I wanted to focus on chocolates. I saw a growing need for good chocolate and quality chocolate in the Indian market and so I went to France and worked in a chocolate shop and just learnt how to make chocolates."

With quality food, customer loyalty and a turnover of Rs 2 crore - one then wonders when Theobroma will begin its expansion into other Mumbai localities and perhaps other Indian metros. She says, "I want a Theobroma in every nook and corner some day but I don’t want to take on more than I can handle at one time. I want to do it slowly and I want to do it right."

Kainaz has big plans for Theobroma, and whilst her business philosophy remains simple - good food at honest prices - her recipe for success is a trade secret!

Pastry pictures are representational