Burgers are one of the most favourite food items in India and are associated with major international players like MC Donalds and Burger King. But, an Indian homegrown brand changed this trend by launching authentic grilled burger and it now competes with big players.
Beginning with merely Rs 20K in hand, Biraja Rout embarked on a goal to launch authentic grilled burgers to Indian consumers and has built a QSR company that is worth over 100 Crore.
Early Beginnings
Rout had just shifted to Bangalore and was working as an IT professional when he ate a burger for the first time at the age of 21, and that first bite of a scrumptious burger transformed his life.
For him, a burger was more than just a snack but an entire meal in itself that could fully satiate hunger. However, he realized that there is no Indian home-grown brand that was famous for its burgers, and only foreign brands like McDonald’s and KFC ruled the burger landscape. This is when he dreamt of opening his own restaurant chain, Biggies Burger, and quit his Infosys job and kickstarted his new business.
“The idea behind Biggies Burger was to launch authentic grilled burgers in India and create a homegrown QSR brand that resonates with the local palate. We wanted to offer a unique dining experience where customers could enjoy flavorful and delicious burgers that capture the essence of India,” raut revealed.
The techie-turned-foodpreneur than began acquiring the knowledge of making burgers through YouTube tutorials. With just Rs 20,000 investment, he opened a small kiosk in Bengaluru where he sold burgers near the Infosys office. It then became popular and got transformed into a proper store.
“We began as a small kiosk in Electronic City, Bangalore, where we perfected our grilled burgers and garnered a loyal customer base. We focused on cost-effective marketing strategies, word-of-mouth referrals, and continuous innovation to drive growth and create brand awareness,” said Raut.
Growth and success
With unwavering passion and determination, Biggies Burger gradually expanded its presence across multiple cities and states and is now India’s largest and most beloved homegrown burger brand with a revenue of Rs 100 crore in 2023. Biraja’s next goal is to take Biggies Burger to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where his business can further spread and hopefully take it to a Rs 200 crore revenue company.
Through his unwavering passion and determination, Biggies Burger has expanded to 130 stores in 28 cities and 14 states and has sold over 50 lakh burgers to date.
“To further fuel our growth, we adopted a franchise model that allowed us to scale rapidly while maintaining quality control. We carefully selected franchise partners who shared our passion for delivering a memorable dining experience. We are looking at expanding our network of stores to 350 by 2024,” asserted Raut.
Thus, Rout’s journey is the epitome of resilience and determination, which makes him an inspiration for aspiring foodpreneurs across the country.
