Akansha Pandey (cbedit@imaws.org)
Established in 2016 in Noida, Wat-a-Burger is a dynamic burger joint, conceived and run by young minds – Rajat Jaiswal and Farman Beig, Co-founders of the brand, with a sole mission to make fresh, delicious yet affordable burgers. Taking a leap from the price-conscious consumer to the experience conscious segment, the brand is eyeing launching a Gourmet Menu in the second quarter of 2022.
“The Gourmet Menu is almost finalized and we are now working on the supply chain and packaging. With the new offerings, we shall close the last gaps in our array for the elite clientele. The soon to be launched gourmet menu is designed keeping in mind the experience conscious consumer who doesn’t mind paying for the food experience. Consumers can expect unparalleled quality, lip-smacking taste and an unforgettable experience with this new offering, once ready. Post the launch, we shall be the only brand with a menu ranging from INR29 to more than INR400, all under one roof,” exclaims Rajat Jaiswal, Co-founder, Wat-a-Burger.
The brand follows a typically dine-in model, with delivery for additional revenue. This model ensures operational costs to stay in check with projected revenues from the stores. Wat-a-Burger has witnessed dine-in sales to be more sustainable, furnishing higher margins and maintaining better brand loyalty.
Thus with the current figure of 60+ Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) across 21 cities and 11 states, Wat-a-Burger is on an expansion spree and plans to open over 50 new outlets in the financial year 2022-23. Jaiswal adds, “We are working aggressively on the franchise model. We have franchised 60 outlets in the last six years which is more than any other home-grown burger brand in India. At present Tier-2 and 3 Indian cities of Lucknow, Patna, Bhopal and Gorakhpur are performing the best and urban sales are also coming back to track as corporates and schools/colleges are reopening. We are a QSR business and every person that enjoys fast food is our target audience. In terms of geographies, we are focussing on Tier-2 cities such as Dehradun and Chandigarh right now. We want to fill in the gap prevailing in the Tier 2 towns in terms of QSRs.”
On plans to raise funding, Jaiswal highlights that they believe in getting an investor on board not for funds but for mentorship. “Thankfully, we clock enough revenue year-on-year to keep up pace with our expansion and scale-up plans, but our decision to raise funds is more inclined towards having a mentor on board, who also has a concrete ground in the business to feel motivated enough to drive with us,” he elaborates.
The Co-founders have managed to survive or balance the brand’s finances being a bootstrapped company and not opting for fundraising. Wat-a-Burger as a brand earns from various revenue sources and not just restaurants. Timely investments and setting up parallel businesses have helped the brand be financially stable. During the pandemic, their expenses were quickly streamlined and revenues scaled to balance the losses.
The brand offers sandwiches, sides, wraps and shakes apart from its burgers. Its USP lies in the Indian taste and flavour-based burgers that it offers at affordable rates. On the vegetarian menu, the Aloo Achari Burger is their bestselling product and on the non-vegetarian menu, Tandoori Chicken Makhani Burger is most in demand.
Co-founders Rajat Jaiswal and Farman Beig were childhood friends and always wanted to explore entrepreneurship. They explored the market for long to understand the gaps, however, the food and beverage sector intrigued them as they were big-time foodies. While exploring the same, they decided to launch a burger chain that serves Indian flavors between the buns. Additionally, they felt driven to make it pocket-friendly so that they get to serve more and more people.
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