I become attentive the moment Gordon Ramsay appears on my television screen. The Legendary Celebrity Chef’s restaurants have been awarded 16 Michelin stars in total. The secret behind his success is not only his cooking style and great food but his authentic way of managing the restaurants. Ramsay act as a troubleshooter and his ability to deal with failing restaurants is quite evident in his television series also. He provides solutions to the restaurants from food to the management and helps in their establishment and sustainability. I always wonder if we can have someone in India who can provide solutions to restaurants. Won’t it be great? Having restaurants ranging from start-ups to the established brands, India should need someone who can deal with their challenges and helps in the sustainability of the restaurant business.

 

I have been experiencing varied services from a lot of restaurants from the time I stepped onto the city. It may range from fine dining, casual dining, café or a pub. However, I have noticed that there are some restaurants that can’t exist for more than a couple of months or a year. I always thought food might be the reason of their unsuccessful business until I met Ashok and Roshan, one of the pioneers in the food industry.

Ask who are they: WhyNot Innovations was founded by two Bangalore-based Business and IT professionals -Ashok and Roshan in 2014. It is a service provider company having an objective to optimize restaurants using their amazing product. During our conversation, I learned that Ashok is an innovative and result-oriented business professional having an experience of over two decades in the enterprise sales and development industry. He also had the experience of leading Global Sales and Delivery for America, Europe, Middle East and India.

 

On the other hand, the tech-savvy Roshan uses software to solve complex problems and hence pitch onto the business. He has played leadership roles in most of the leading companies such as SAP Labs and Bristlecone. Both Ashok and Roshan were colleagues and knew each other for almost 15 years. From past two years they are rejoicing their new relationship- Business partners.

 

The Germ of the idea: Sitting beside a river bank somewhere in Switzerland sipping their beer, the duo caught with an idea of pursuing their dream- to do something on their own. They undergo brainstorming, sharing thoughts and constantly keep on checking with multiple ideas. “Why Not”? Both exclaimed. The twosome successively uttered-“Why Not”- start something of our own? “Why Not”- providing a solution to the restaurants which help in focussing them on the retention of their customers? “Why Not”-make a powerful tool than the competitors that exceeds the customer’s expectations. This was when “WhyNot Innovative” was born. As both of them are hearty eaters and possess expertise of enterprise software hence no idea would be greater than clubbing both the sectors, they thought and trust me, it has worked fantastic. Upon observing the restaurants for quite some time they realized that restaurants can be optimized and their business can be sustained. They want to offer solutions to the food chains rather than just the critics.

 

Understanding the market: Retaining regular customers is one of the important ways to sustain one’s business. Since both of them have an IT background the duo thought of incorporating the same in the restaurants. “No more the restaurants will use technology only to punch the bill but also to make the restaurants more systematic and to have a sustainable business through their application”, the founders delivered.

 

Putting the product into execution:  Restaurants invest a lot of money to attract their customers either by its décor, discounts or delicious food but how many of them have actually given a thought of retaining their regular customers? WhyNot Innovations want to reach the restaurants which in turn help their customers to have a delightful experience whenever they choose their restaurants. Hence, WhyNot Innovations have come up with an application which restaurants can use it to keep a track of their customers- knowing them, their food and locality preferences along with Phone or Online reservation and understanding their walking and wait-list priorities too.

 

The key features of the application: The product or the application designed in order to help the restaurants to manage their business which in turn also help the customers to have a perfect service. The key features are Real-time Analytic, Walk-In, Waitlist & Reservation Management, Channel Management, Multi-Channel Feedback & Survey Management, Campaign Management, Home Delivery & Take Away Management, Campaign Management, and Guest Management.  

 

How will all of us feel if the receptionist over the phone greets us by our name? We will be delighted to know that they know us, our food and sitting preferences too. The customers can set a belief that the restaurant will offer great service accordingly. On a Friday night, won’t it be good if we get our table ready instead of waiting outside in a long queue? This can only be possible if the restaurants can keep a track of their customers which means providing value to them in a true sense. All these scenarios are possible for WhyNot Innovations through their application.

 

“Upon asking few of the restaurants about their regular customers, they confidently answered that they do have but they went clueless when asked about the percentage”, Rohan informed. He also added that their solution to restaurants will make them able to recognize their existing or new customers. The data captured about a customer will help the restaurants to know the type of spender the customer is, when was his last visit and how many times he visited? These few questions and also some more details can be captured by using the application which not only a way of providing comprehensive and intelligent data for the management but also helps for better ROI.

 

Funding and the early challenges: The Company is bootstrapped even though it requires funds to sustain in the market. Earlier days, they felt challenging on making a client understand the application as few of the clients appreciated the same however didn’t show any positive signs investing on it. Once clients started understanding and using the product gradually they came to know its power and started admiring it.  “Once our product gets sold, we get motivated. Every time we meet new people we explore better ways of making people understand about our product”, Roshan told in enthusiasm. He also added that the moment they were paid for their product they realized that they were heading towards the right path.

 

Incredible Clients to work with: It is amazing to know that within a span of fewer than two years, the company has incredible clients. Talking about few of their Clients are Sanchos-one of the best Mexican dining room in Bangalore, The Biere Club-Bangalore’s first craft brewery, MRG-Bangalore-based chain of boutique hotels, RMZ and Punjab Grill one of the best North- Indian restaurants in the city.

 

 

 

Believe it or not, the company did neither use social media nor online marketing for promoting their product. They believed in the potential of their product.  Initially, they started with a monthly subscription to a yearly subscription now. Currently, WhyNot Innovations have more than 50+ customers in Bangalore.

 

The dynamic team: Today WhyNot Innovations have a team of nine professionals which drive the complete sales and marketing department. The professionals were there from past two years. “We have seen zero attrition and I am grateful to have such employees who keep me motivated. Our employees are a booster”, Ashok conveyed.

 

Future Goals: The Company will not only focus the restaurants but also would proceed to work on the business to customer model in parallel. WhyNot Innovations would like to spread their wings internationally- Dubai could be their next business destination along with operating Pan India.

 

Let your service speak in the market: The duo is an appropriate example of business partners, hard and smart workers and of course great inspirers. Isn’t it? “You start feeling low when you see your competitors but the moment you get a feedback about your product you are back in the game”, they smiled and signed off.

 

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