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17 HOSPITALITY BIZ AUGUST, 2024 INTERVIEW 13
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‘We ensure all our practices are sustainable’

House of Malaka Spice was established by Praful and Cheeru Chandawarkar in
Pune in 1997. The duo travelled extensively in the Southeast Asia region during
their seven years stay in Hong Kong and came back to India with a collection of
recipes that not only preserves the authenticity of the region, but they also infused
their innovative twists to it, to create a menu that has become an aspiration
for many. Praful Chandawarkar, Founder and Managing Director, Chiranjeev
Restaurant and Foods Pvt Ltd (House of Malaka Spice) talks to Sumit Jha about
his journey from investment banking to hospitality.

Q How did the journey in this industry from Mumbai had. Plus, the IT industry in Pune
start for you?
had started to boom, and the city was becoming
I come from a background of multiple more cosmopolitan. I knew that business would
education. While my first education was in be successful, and things did turn in our favour.
hospitality, the initial days of working in the Today, we have been around for 27 years.
hospitality industry did not meet up with my Our deep knowledge of financials helped
expectations because I realised that I was not us a lot to survive and grow even in very lean
going to make the kind of money potentially periods. The nuances of understanding profit
working for someone. The reason I did not and loss, and cash flows and balance sheets and food. And they are also cloud kitchens. With an
last more than 5 months in my first job with understanding how investments and savings are investment of about rupees 20 lakhs, the return
the ITC group. I started an enterprise at a very done, is not there in chef driven places. is in the range of a lakh or a lakh and a half
young age, and learnt it the hard way that when every month, net of taxes.
you don’t have capital, your enterprises tend to Q How has the business grown for you and
shut. I shut three enterprises before moving to what are the future plans? Q What is your new management contract
Hong Kong where I got an opportunity to work We have been profitable from the year 2000. We business?
in the financial sector. While I was there for now have four Malaka Spice restaurants and We have a management operations business
seven years, me and my then girlfriend Cheeru, three outlets of One China. Before Covid we had that will work under the banner of the House of
travelled extensively, ate local food and created a eight Malaka Spice restaurants. After covid we Malaka. Because we promote the Artha-shastra
bank of regional recipes that we enjoyed. Shortly learnt a lot and started building cloud kitchens as a thought process, we are getting contracts
after coming back to India, I decided to go back which have seatings. Those are the One China to run other people’s restaurants and resorts.
into the food and beverage industry. I found a hybrid models, which are recession proof and We have chosen a resort in Mulshi (on the
small space in Pune and used my reserves to work in small areas and small towns, and that outskirts of Pune) because there were synergies
start an enterprise. I started Malaka Spice. is where the growth is going to come from. I in the new promoter of that resort. He thinks
Hospitality industry attracts passionate feel One China is going to be 100 outlets in like us. This is our first management contract
people, which I believe I am. All entrepreneurs five years, whereas Malaka Spice is going to be project. We will operate that business as per
journey will have its ups and downs. We restricted to 10. our philosophies and make sure that it becomes
have had many, but all of them have been profitable. We are not making the same mistakes
educative for us. We are patient, and also plan Q How has the franchising route worked that we made with other franchisees.
our succession. I truly believe that restaurant for you?
concepts come to fruition in 30 years and die With Malaka Spice, we have gone the franchise Q What is competition for you?
somewhere around the 100th year. route and have failed in it. We have had many We are well aware of our competition. We
issues in franchising. If the laws in India, had study them and when we can learn something
Q Way back then, how was the market been as stringent and quick as in the US, we from them, we learn. We always collaborate.
acceptance for food that was not Indian?
Many restaurateurs come to Malaka Spice and
would have been more successful. Franchisees
Because our food was so different, and people in India need to build patience. They should they have access to all our knowledge – to
were not willing to explore too much, it do what they are supposed to do – provide the survive, to do better, to be part of our Gurukul.
took us about two to three years to establish space and handle the finance. We have learnt We help them where we can. For us competition
ourselves. We did end up spending out of our that the hard way. is healthy. We look at other restaurants as
reserves during that time. To our advantage In One China, the franchise route is working collaborators and not as competition. There are
was the proximity of Pune to Mumbai – thanks beautifully. They are smaller units and don’t many good things to learn from competition or
to the then newly built expressway, and the need intense capital expenditure. Thy are quick collaborations, so more the better. n
international exposure that well-travelled people to duplicate and the Indian palate loves Chinese sumit.jha@saffronsynergies.in

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