Expanding To Hyderabad, Bombay, Pune, Chandigarh, More In Delhi: Chowman's Debaditya Chaudhury
How did you get the idea to start Chowman? What is the history and background of Chowman, Kolkata's first small format democratised, neighbourhood fine dining Chinese restaurant chain?
I never planned to be a restaurateur, to be honest. Originally, I pursued a career in music as a founding member of Kolkata's leading Bangla rock band. However, being a foodie and a Bengali, food has always held a special place in my heart.
Growing up in a neighbourhood with an iconic Indo-Chinese restaurant called Kim Wah, I developed a fascination for the art of cooking. I was amazed by the chefs and their delicious food, which sparked my love for Chinese cuisine. As a member of the band Lakkhichhara, I travelled extensively for concerts, allowing me to explore various cuisines around the world. In 2010, I started Chowman with a small 350 sq. ft space.
In Kolkata, Chinese food was predominantly Indo-Chinese, a fusion of Indian and Chinese flavours. I wanted to change that perception and introduce people to authentic Chinese cuisine, beyond just the flavours. It was a risk, but I believed it was time for people to experience the true essence of Chinese food. Chowman aimed to break the stereotype and showcase the culture of Chinese cuisine.
When I started Chowman, my goal was to create a fine-dining experience accessible to everyone. I come from a middle-class background, and I wanted to make fine dining more inclusive. That's why our 30 outlets across India are strategically located in neighbourhood areas, rather than commercial districts, to democratize the concept of fine dining.
What is your motto and primary focus when it comes to serving Chinese cuisine?
Serving happiness! And it is just not a slogan for us, it's a ritual for us. People say that restaurants run by this slogan but we live by the slogan. And that can be in terms of our taste, our quality and the experience that we give!
It is not always about comparing, but I'm sure Chowman gives the feel of the difference. We are known to be unique in what we serve. Further, the kind of labour we put behind maintaining the quality with our Food Safety & Management team, our regular secret food audit and rigorous training to maintain the quality- reserves a special mention.
Till date, we have opened 30 restaurants by now, all across India and are soon about to open many more in the next two to three years. But we have never compromised in keeping our quality at par. It has been our vision to make Chowman accessible as an affordable fine dining to the core stratum of people. By now we've become Bengal's winning Chinese chain of brands in East India and a leading face in Bangalore. Our mission is to become India's best in the next couple of years winning the hearts of people all across the nation!
Apart from the mentioned restaurant, which other popular restaurants are associated with the person in charge? How do these restaurants differ in terms of cuisine and concept?
Other than Chowman, I have also founded two other restaurants, Oudh 1590 & Chapter 2 alongside my elder brother Shiladitya Chaudhury.
Oudh 1590 imparts a true "period dining" experience recreated in today's kitchens reminiscing the culture and cuisine of Awadh savoured at the table; whereas Chapter 2 is the perfect fusion of retro dining, with continental food from the recollection of 1940s to 1970s Calcutta.
Who are the primary competitors in the Chinese cuisine market in the areas where the restaurant chain operates?
Honestly, we do not have competitors in the segment that we serve because our fine-dining format is very different from any other fine-dining. Also, terms of the items that we serve and the taste that has made us unique today, further made people compare us with several other International Chinese food brands.
Can you describe the challenges faced during the journey of growth and success in the restaurant industry?
When I started Chowman, it faced scepticism, but to me, it was more than just a restaurant. It represented a concept, an ideology. Whether it was about serving authentic Chinese cuisine or offering a neighbourhood fine dining experience, Chowman stood apart from other restaurants in 2010.
In the beginning, we had a small team of only four people, including myself. I even personally made food deliveries, often arriving home at 1 am. Despite the initial struggle, we saw a rapid increase in demand. Within a year, we opened our base kitchen and another outlet in a prime location, Ballygunge 99. The overwhelming love we received led to the consecutive openings of more Chowman outlets. In addition, I partnered with my elder brother to introduce two other restaurants, Oudh 1590 and Chapter 2.
How does the restaurant manage to offer an authentic taste at an affordable price point? What are the factors contributing to its success besides pricing?
To bring out the authentic taste, we initially used to import raw produces and sauces from different parts of Asia, mostly from China. Coming to affordability, my core target area is the people belonging to the middle class. And that also includes not just adults, but also young college and office-goers. And we make it a point not to cross a certain price point. Currently, we have employed expert chefs all across India who undergo rigorous training from our Head-Chefs making in-house sauces and importing very less.
Other than the pricing the factors that contribute to our success is our content. Whether with the items that we serve, or the packaging that we make they all have their speciality. Another thing that contributes is our Marketing strategy and currently, we are also exploring the social media facets of it. But to talk about success, whatever we are today is complete because of word of mouth. The immense love from people not just in Bengal or India but recognition in parts of America and other parts of the world has pushed us to go beyond our comfort areas.
What measures are taken to ensure the quality and consistency of the food across all the outlets?
We follow a very stringent policy when it comes to maintaining the quality. Few raw materials are imported while the rest undergo inspection as per BIS standard certified use. We further check the nutritional value of each through the labelling which posits a big factor. Furthermore, we have mandated quarterly lab test of cooked/raw items, drinking water and high-risk food like baos, momo, salads. We've further implemented separately labelled chopping boards for veg, seafood & red meat to prevent cross-contamination. Cleaning and sanitization are two very significant factor and we've appointed FSS or Food Safety Supervisor to do the minute work pertaining to quality- check for serving fresh food to our customers by maintaining logbooks on a regular logbook.
Coming to maintain consistency we conduct weekly secret food audits and deploy our head chef for continuous training. We've also got a service training management team to ensure fine-dining decorum and protocols. Other than this, we've further got our team of 20 people under the customer feedback department for handling major to minutest customer complaints, reviewing and providing instant solutions to our customers.
What unique features or elements does the restaurant offer to create a distinct dining experience compared to other establishments in the market?
I wanted Chowman to be more inclusive and more of an experience than a mere food joint. Importing sauces, crockery and cutleries from various parts of Asia, creating an interior decor and musical ambience which could represent the traditional ethos of China was on my agenda. Moreover, my move was towards a new form of hospitality business. We were one of the first restaurants in Kolkata, to begin with a Cloud kitchen strategy. We tried to incorporate our 'authentic Chinese' ideal in every minute detail. Even our delivery packages included Chopsticks- something that none of the pre-existing Chinese hubs could come up with before. This was because I wanted to present not just Chinese food, but introduce their entire art of eating into every house-holds of Kolkata. Till today, these are a few of the things that have kept us leagues ahead.
How is the restaurant planning to adapt to the preferences and tastes of different regions as it expands to other cities across the country?
There's no question of adapting to the tastes of different regions because that is what I wanted to break away from and make a place for something more authentic. Chinese is a very common cuisine that has reigned in India and many people have adopted it accordingly. But the reason we got to become the ruling brand is because of the unique flavour that we impart by keeping it close to authenticity. It's this taste that has fetched us all the love across India and across the world, further motivating us for this national expansion. So, there's no question of deviating from that by any means. Rather it's a strive to make people seek exposure to Chinese that is different from the rest.
What are Chowman's future expansion plans? Which cities are they targeting next and what is their ultimate goal in terms of presence throughout the country?
We've currently got over 30 outlets till date all across Kolkata, Bangalore & Delhi, with our next expansion happening in the South with Hyderabad, West with Bombay and Pune, In the North with Chandigarh and 5 more in Delhi.
