Exclusive Intevriew | Debaditya Chaudhury, Managing Director, Chowman Hospitality Pvt. Lt
/“ Passion for Food is the only way to succeed in the Food Industry, To deliver that passion on the plate comes with a lot of scrutiny and effort.”
Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?
It all started back in 2010 with our first outlet in Golf Green, Kolkata. But there is always a back story to everything. See I am a foodie, and being a Bong, food is something that holds a special place in my heart. Ever since I was a child I would literally pass on my unsolicited comments, reviewing my schoolmates’ everyday tiffin. Interestingly, I also grew up in a locality with one of the oldest Indo-Chinese restaurants called Kim Wah witnessing the flocking of crowds to and fro at the restaurant. I would often visit the place and it was a truly amazing for me to see the chefs cooking. I loved their food and that is what triggered my love for Chinese cuisine. Later in my late teens, being one of the founder members of Kolkata’s leading Bangla rock band -Lakkhichhara, I would often be on the road, traveling to various parts of the world for concerts which gave me a lot of opportunities in exploring more about food. I would be visiting many food joints around the streets and places in my spare time in between my concerts.
In 2010 I started Chowman’s journey with a 350 sq ft place. I had imported crockery and cutleries, even the sauces from Hong Kong, Thailand, China, and other parts, and in fact, tried to embed the culture of Chopsticks to not just give a bend to the food narrative but simultaneously bring out the beauty of Oriental culture embedded in the food as well. I always wanted to create something different and so my motto was to “Democratize Fine Dining” by selling the best quality food and giving a comforting ambiance where people could have a fine dining experience at affordable prices. That is why most of our outlets are mostly located in neighborhood areas than commercial places. I wanted people to feel inclusive of this emerging fine-dining where they would be eating more pleasurably than consciously.
Initially, the beginning was really on the edge. I was a one-man army with a handful few managing accounts, delivering food, and driving off my co-workers late at night back home. Everything was very very unstable at that time but all I knew was I was living my dream and there was no return for me. To be honest, the journey would not be the same without those people who were with me from the start. Today, we have transformed from a small Chinese eatery to a national brand and I still have the same team working with me. That sums up that Chowman was a dream of many.
Why does the hospitality industry attract you?
Since a major part of this sector is the food industry and I am a big foodie, I always wanted to do something in the restaurant sector. While people eat to live, I simply live to eat and there’s not a shadow of doubt about that.
You built Chowman into a super successful F&B offering. Deep dive into that. What worked, what didn't. How did you do it?
I think what worked mostly for the success was my passion for food. Right from the start till today, I have had an eye for serving the best quality Chinese at affordable prices without compromising on quantity. And to deliver that passion on the plates comes with a lot of scrutiny and effort. I have travelled around places and did a lot of researches, handpicking the best dishes for my menu. And before introducing them or curating a menu for special event even today me and my team go through rigorous tasting and inspecting continuously. That’s what makes Chowman’s Chinese the best amongst the rest.
What did not work was to provide a large seating area because we wanted to bifurcate our service into Dine-in, Delivery & takeaway. So planning a huge seating accommodation would cause a huge property cost without benefiting us much.
You are now conquering Delhi. How is that going?
Oh it’s going crazy good. The reason we had decided to go national was that many of my friends and acquaintances who were true fan of Chowman wanted us to make it outside. Chinese is a very common cuisine but I can vouch for a fact that no other place makes Chinese the way we do. The intricate thought of making a perfect fuse of traditional Chinese with a subtle blend of India flavor is something that makes us unique. And we offer over 600+ menu featuring a wide range of seafood delicacies, Pork and lamb dishes. There’s a huge response from the Delhi consumers within the few weeks since we opened at East of Kailash and Noida and soon we are about to open a few more in other popular street hubs of Delhi.
What can we expect from Chowman Hospitality in the near & long-term future?
Chowman is currently Kolkata’s no 1 brand in Chinese cuisine and it’s our motto to become India’s No.1 in the coming years. Two years back from now when Chowman became East India’s No. 1 brand in Chinese cuisine both in terms of popularity and sale (as per reports from Swiggy & Zomato),I decided to make Chowman the nation’s number one brand in our segment. And down the line after 5 years I see Chowman’s presence in all major cities of India as the most popular oriental brand.
What drives Debaditya Chaudhury?
Every time while travelling I come across people carrying the Chowman carry bag around the streets or airport. It’s an overwhelming feeling to see my brainchild being people’s choice and that is a true push to dream bigger. Till today, many other restaurants have done their best with Chinese food, but its our aspiration for the better that has made us move beyond.
