Foodaholics, A Love Affair With Food

• ByStartupStory     |    July 30, 2021

“Think out of the box, but it’s not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, one can emphasize what’s already existing and make it better.” Kishi Arora, Founder, and CEO, Foodaholics, in a delightful conversation with the Startup Story.

Kishi, an enthusiastic Chefpreneur, completed her graduation from SRCC, University of Delhi. She switched her career and went to The Culinary Institute of America for Specialization in Baking and Pastry. While living there, she started her internship at Dahlia Lounge. Later, she worked at Four Seasons Hotels in San Diego and in Singapore as Pastry Chef and Trainer. She’s also a member of the Ted fellowship. 

Foodaholics offers its services in three segments- Foremost they offer Food consultancy which includes recipe development, menu development, SOPs. Another segment is where it offers bespoke cakes and desserts, all-party appetizers. The Third Segment is “mamaktreats” aka Mama-K:Home treats by Foodaholics; delivers Punjabi, Banarasi vegetarian cooking to all over Delhi-NCR. “At Foodaholics you’ll find a 360-degree offering- technical food consulting, trained chef on board, and perfectly executed desserts.”

Moreover, Foodaholics under ‘mamaktreats’ had served many paid covid meals to those who couldn’t have the energy to cook their meal or for those who were hospitalized. The company is self-funded. 

Kishi said while telling Startup Story about Foodaholics that her father was the one who encouraged her to start this venture. “So, my father said if you’re going to put in your all-hard work, I never want you to be someone’s employee, be a consultant. Open up your own company. That’s how you can create unique things and will never be bored of doing the same things again and again. And, that’s how sole proprietorship was born. I am very thankful for that because that kept my company a big umbrella company where I could add a lot of other things to it. I can do multiple things simultaneously without being stuck to one project. And, that helped me a lot individually and for the growth of the company as well.” 

How Does It Feel To Be Your Own Boss?

When Startup Story asked Kishi about the feeling of being an entrepreneur, she responded, “Being an entrepreneur is a never-ending process. It never stops. You are always learning about something. She further added saying it has brought so much transition. Earlier I was learning about food, and as situations have changed now, technology plays a dominant role in every field. I have learned about the digital side of it to expand my horizon and I have also learned about gardening.

So, when you work on your own you keep on learning different things which might not happen if you work in some company as an employee. Entrepreneurship has made me what I am today; progressive, thoughtfulness. She continued by saying, I also believe in boutique-style. I want to keep my business bespoke. Moreover, with entrepreneurship, freedom also comes in the way. I can do things on my terms.”  Kishi told us, she keeps on changing her menu on a daily basis. She believes one must leverage the chance to do experiments and educate their clients as well.

Key To Maintain Creativity

Kishi shares an anecdote with Startup Story when we asked her how she tries to be consistent with her creativity, “When I first came to India, I was making a lot of these cakes, and many people started copying my designs. That is when it hits me. Back then, my mother taught me, ‘Customization is the key to a food shop.’ She told me why do you need to make the same design. If someone is copying your ideas, you make hundreds of new designs, and that’s made me realize I don’t have to make the monotonous design over and over again. I ended up making new designs, and that helps my creative juices flow.” Everyone has days when they feel low and run out of ideas. But finding inspiration is the smallest of things to do at that time.

Customer Feedback

The feedback for Foodaholics has been great until now. “I do love criticism, and when someone criticizes, I take this as a positive response,” Kishi said, she focuses more on Customer liking and disliking. She tries to make it as personal as for the customers. For her, Customer experience is most important. “I don’t believe the customer is always right. I think the customer is human. Consider your customer as a friend one needs to learn from them. So, if they say something, observe it, soak it up, and then take it from there and either change it to something positive. Don’t forget what they have said, so tomorrow you’re always in that learning process.”

Future Plans And Expansions

As far as the future plans for Foodaholics are concerned, Kishi said that she wants to expand Mamaktreats as it has a great potential. People love the food; therefore, she wants to grow Mamaktreats where more people can try the delicious food cooked out of her mother’s recipe. She wants to enlarge this business in a bespoke and boutique style. “I want Foodaholics to be known everywhere for the uniqueness it serves.”

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