In 2007, Cad B was a brand that had 3 stores in Pune selling thick chocolate milkshakes. In 2012, the same company, now rebranded as Café Chokolade, has 110 stores across 36 cities. The dramatic transformation can be credited to 30-year-old Ameet Pahilani, the managing director of Café Chokolade, who took over Cad B in 2007. The company now plans to open its first outlet outside India in Dubai within the next six months. Pahilani, however, has overcome many challenges to get to where he is today.
“I had a very relaxed childhood. I finished my schooling from Dastur High School and then went to Ness Wadia College of Commerce to do my junior college. In 2002, at the age of 19, I went abroad to pursue a degree in marketing. But my family fell into bad times and I had to quit my course and start doing odd jobs in London to support myself,” he recalled.
Pahilani then worked on construction sites, cleaned toilets and even put up stalls selling bhelpuri, fruits and corn to survive. The sheer strain of doing these jobs made him even resort to taking drugs.
Pahilani then was lucky to get a job as a bookkeeper in a Chinese bakery. He realised the business opportunity in importing Chinese snacks and supplying them to stores in London. He started doing this in a big way and was able to eventually put aside about Rs1 crore.
He decided to come back to India in 2007. He took a franchise of Naturals ice-cream but fell out with the company over a dispute.
“One day my friend took me from Wanavdi, where I live, to Kothrud just to have chocolate milkshakes at a store called Cad B. The store had great milkshakes but was badly run. I remember thinking that if someone came all the way from Wanavdi to Kothrud just to drink shakes, than what potential the company had. The owner did not realise its potential. So I paid Rs75 lakh to buy out the company,” said Pahilani. Within that year the company rolled out 30 to 40 stores through franchisees. “Focus on building your brand, and not on money. If your brand is good, than money will automatically come,” he said.
