Formal Education and Career –
Chaitanya Kumar Lingamallu, co-founder of The Chocolate Room was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. He finished his engineering in Electronics and Communications after which he moved to Australia to pursue his masters in IT from the University of Ballarat. There, he noticed how everything worked in developed countries and focused on learning how it works to fulfill his vision of doing something bigger in India. This is exactly what he did once he was here by founding The Chocolate Room franchise, which now spans several states and many more overseas.
How It Started: The Chocolate Room -
Being a confessed foodie, Chaitanya Kumar visited several eateries in Australia trying different cuisines. One day in 2006, when he was back in India on a holiday, while exploring several cities he noticed many fast-food franchises which he noticed were in a lot of demand at the time. When he went back to Australia, he kept thinking about the gap in the Indian market where he could bring in a brand to do something. So, after a lot of research, they founded The Chocolate Room in 2007 in Ahmadabad as a chocolate cafe. Now, they have over 200 stores across the country serving from Kashmir to Kanyakumari!
How They Stand Out –
When they first started, the cafeteria industry in the country was predominantly focused on serving coffee or other beverages along with some Pre-made savories from third parties. The Chocolate Room decided to stand out from the rest by setting up a small kitchen inside the cafeteria and serving a wide variety of freshly made food.
After getting a great response from their first store in Ahmadabad which gained popularity for its many chocolate-related beverages, they decided to take their brand the franchise route which worked for the best.
Future plans -
After being in the industry for nearly 15 years and surviving Covid due to their loyal customers, they are planning to come as an IPO to generate more public funding through public. With a revenue of 100 crores as of now, they are in plan to take it to 300 crores by the year 2025.
Challenges and Overcoming Failures -
When they first started, Chaitanya Kumar says, their chief motivation was his passion and not money. So, for the first few years when they got something different and new to the Indian market, they struggled to make profits. But, he believes, the first 1 or 2 years of any business before you find your footing is a loss-making time. But when you are purpose-oriented and start passionately while strategically being financially disciplined, which was the basis for The Chocolate Room, eventually you’ll overcome any challenges.
Being financially disciplined and maintaining consistency with quality will garner a lot of trusts from the customers who will keep returning.
Source of Inspiration -
His most prominent source of inspiration is his father, claims Chaitanya Kumar. Watching him run several businesses and facing failures over the years, he learned a lot.
He focused on maintaining consistency in everything he ever started by learning from his father. It became a driving factor that helped him succeed in his several ventures.
Advice to Young Entrepreneurs -
“Don’t run behind money,” advises Chaitanya Kumar to all young entrepreneurs out there who are reading this, “start any business on the purpose for you. It truly helps you succeed.”