Manjari Singh
Co-Founder, The Chhaunk (छौंक)
Established in July 2021, “The Chhaunk” is a Gurgaon based cloud kitchen startup that exclusively offers Bihari Food. The two women entrepreneurs (Saas-Bahu duo) Mrs. Manjari Singh and Mrs. Hiranyamayi Shivani gathered a lot of courage to launch not just FOOD but an EXPERIENCE that takes you back to your home. They have always believed in themselves and conviction towards their cooking. They have been able to combat all the challenges that came their way. Setting up this business was not a planned thing for them, but during the lockdown, Mrs. Hiranyami couldn’t go to her home and got stuck. Since she loved cooking, this idea came up and it was beautifully implemented. Food recipe that comes from a mother has a lot of essence, relaxedness, calmness and plethora of love. Well, The Chhaunk has got all of this because all the recipes are being given by Mrs. Hiranyami- the mother for Bihari Recipes. Good cuisine is something that everyone is fond of and it definitely binds us to create memories. With this thought of bringing street stories around food along with the traditional taste of Bihar, The Chhaunk is thrilled to share this amazing Bihari Platter to you so that their stories reach the fulfilling palates of your friends and family.
The Chhaunk’s USP
There is absolutely no decoration on the food preparation to commercialize it like any restaurant food, but it is kept exactly the same as you get if you visit any Bihar home. They have tied up with brand Favola for food packing material. They are totally committed to being a 100% Green company and are not using any items in the restaurant which will do any to the ecosystem. The packaging is completely free from plastic and is entirely biodegradable. They are using glass packaging in order to deliver lead free, safe freeze, leak proof food. The containers are also air tight for the absolute convenience of the customer. The food is prepared in less than 30 minutes. There is absolutely no fusion, a 100% authentic traditional way of preparation is used. The Chhaunk merchandise is free with every order. They have specialized chefs for regional cuisines who will follow exact recipes given by the mother. To scale their business with hyperlocal delivery, they have Dunzo. It definitely offers the best delivery services and the order successfully reaches the customer in the shortest amount of time.
The Brand is inclined towards working on the 3 important models – Delivery, Take away and Dine-in and the focus will be to access the reach of every single food lover by planning these 3 proportionately in each city wherever the venture is.
The Chhaunk – Every food has a story here
From the chowks of Bihar, The Chhaunk aims to create an ecosystem that has a home feel. They are presenting one of the most diverse cuisines to the world which was always underestimated because of no focused approach by any brand which it always deserved. This amazing duo has proved that age has no bar and they have come with this amazing and exclusive cuisine. Both were always business-minded and they came up with this innovative idea.
The staple foods of Biharis are Bhat, Dal, Roti, Tarkari and Achar. Most Hindus in Bihar consume khichdi, a broth of rice and lentils seasoned with spices and usually served with side dishes as their mid-day meal during the weekend. However, the favourite dish of Bihari’s is Litti Chokha. While Litti is made up of Sattu, Chokha is a mix of smashed potato, tomato and brinjal. Along with, to refresh your mind, body and soul they have Satu Sharbat. It helps so much in enhancing energy and improving the appetite. This amazing restaurant has all the Bihari Food. The food can be ordered online at The Chhaunk or Swiggy.
The Chhaunk’s Vision
In the next 1 year, the company plans to open outlets in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore & Jaipur. The brand is aim to open at least 50+ outlets in the next 2-3 years with an aim to deliver Bihari Homemade food. This Specialized Bihar Kitchen won’t only target the Bihari consumers but also the ones who are food enthusiast consumers (non-Bihari) and are ready to explore new cuisine. The aim is to take it to every food lover around the world. In upcoming stages, they will definitely take it to every possible corner of the world.
Reacting to the extension of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs announced by Finance Minister in the Budget recently, Manjari Singh, Co-founder of “The Chhaunk” commented that this will help immediate coverage and support to businesses with small pockets and their ability to sustain business risk will increase for a longer time. Also, it would help small businesses to be more organized and able to increase their credit score with the banks so that at times of need they get immediate support from banks through the ECGL scheme.
Manjari Singh also welcomed the support for small equipment machinery linked to the hospitality industry that will help the cloud-based models to expand their operations. She was however expecting some tax relief until a certain revenue hits the sheets so that business owners like her can show growth reflecting on the performance of the overall industry and a formal structure on the investment subsidiary & operations for the cloud kitchen owners. The hospitality sector has been one of the hardest-hit sectors because of COVID, but it is surprising that the Govt didn’t add any relaxation.
