Vishakha Goswami (cbedit@imaws.org)
If you are going to opine that a breakfast plate with fluffy rice-cake (idly) or a dosa served with accomplishments like chutneys, sambhar, to a traditional Tamil home, you are not right anymore. Breaking the barriers, today, Tamil Nadu’s authentic foods idly, dosa has attained the position of a pan-India food getting acceptance from every corner of the country. Open any food delivery app, these Tamil foods are now an integral part of almost every pin code of the nation. Prem Ganapathy, Founder of Dosa Plaza can be attributed as one of the reasons for taking this dish across India making it in an organized manner. 
Story of dosa plaza:
Born in Tuticorin district, (Nagalapuram) Tamil Nadu Prem Ganapathy started Dosa Plaza in 1997 after facing massive struggles in Mumbai city. Having no knowledge of business Ganapathy gradually learns how to use the internet from college students back then. He kept experimenting with Dosas and there are about 105 varieties of Dosa on the menu at present. Besides this, Dosa Plaza also supplies dosa batter along with other ingredients.
Being in this business for almost 35 years Prem Ganapathy has observed different consumption patterns and taste preferences of South Indian and North India consumers. “North Indians have this urge to try exotic dosas whereas south Indians are not keen to try them, they prefer to have idli and dosas in their original form”, says Ganapathy in conversation with Chef Bharath. According to him, it was the Rajasthani and Gujarati community that took this dish across India.
When a customer thinks of eating outside, most of them prefer Idli and Dosa because these two are perceived to be healthy and luscious. Though they are originated from Tamil Nadu, over the years they have gained popularity in Northern regions as well. They have become one of the most preferred breakfasts in many states of the country. “From top-notch five stars’ hotels, mid-size restaurants to small food outlets, there’s probably no such place or menu in any of the restaurants where Idli and Dosa have failed in taking the space. The main reason for Idli & Dosa to gain massive popularity is because it is healthy, easy to digest, and hygienic”, says Prem Ganapathy, founder, Dosa Plaza.
Unique aspects of Dosa Plaza:
With more than 70 plus outlets in India and more than a dozen outlets offshore, Dosa Plaza has many unique aspects to add. Dosa Plaza’s ingredients are procured locally. Prem says that even though the sambhar which is provided by idli or dosa are South food, they have the pattern of modifying it to the domestic taste. “What is served in Mumbai cannot be served in South India. We need to change our ingredients, serving style according to the taste of the consumer and climatic conditions. In fact, the availability of Jain-type preparation is one more reason for our success in the domestic market. Whereas idli and dosa are vegan food naturally, the demand for this food has increased in the international market.”
Expansion Plans and Global Consumers:
Dosa Plaza is not only limited to Mumbai. They have expanded their business by franchising across Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland states in India as well as there are multiple outlets around the globe. It has two outlets in Dubai, three outlets in New Zealand and eight branches in Australia. They are soon opening in London and US, by next year.
“We always look out for establishing mutual-beneficial partnerships by offering franchise across India as well as in the International market. Currently, we are looking for partners in central India too. The highlighting benefit of partnering with us is that Dosa business can be operational in any style of restaurant be it Quick Service Restaurant, Dine-in and Food Court Model (in Mall) format.”, says Ganapathy.
Speaking about the pricing points, Ganapathy mentioned, “Dosa and idli are served by roadside food outlets as well as in the five-star restaurant. They both have their target consumers. Similarly, we have targeted consumers of middle and upper-middle-class economies. This segment of consumers is in fact our core business backers.”
Franchising model and more:
Aiming to stretch its’ presence in almost all the states, Dosa Plaza works on the centralised business model. “We work as a centralised business model, the chefs who are working in any outlets across the globe are trained by me. I provide training and all the ingredients and recipes go out from our kitchen”, says Ganapathy.
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