SavlaHari Pot Ice cream & Mastani is the brainchild of Ajay Dhane and his four childhood friends, namely, Pradeep Kamathe, Aniket Gaikwad, Sumit Bankar and Sandeep Garde. Ajay did his Masters in Computer Science and after working in the technical field for 17 years, opened his own software company. SavlaHari Pot Ice cream & Mastani happened while Ajay and his friends were enjoying their scoop of ice-cream and cherishing old memories. Ajay mentions that they were very cautious about the quality of the food delivered in the market. The pot ice-cream and thick milkshake (Mastani) offered at SavlaHari is a great source of nourishment with rich ingredients. Along with the delectable taste, it has an appealing aroma! Within one year of their operations, SavlaHari has 10 outlets in total across Pune.
In Conversation With Ajay Dhane of SavlaHari
In an exclusive conversation with The Restaurant Times, Ajay Dhane talks of his journey in the industry, the story behind SavlaHari, challenges faced while running the business, and a lot more.
What makes SavlaHari different?
SavlaHari serves handmade, pure milk ice-cream with added fruits and dry fruits. The motto of SavlaHari is ‘Never compromise with the product’s quality’. The name SavlaHari signifies wholesomeness and purity in terms of the ingredients, processes and how customers are served. SavlaHari being a dairy brand uses milk as the major component in all their products. Dhane says that they procure their milk from an area 200kms away from Pune, which is known for its pure buffalo milk. After a lot of R&D around ice creams and visits to different dessert parlors across India, they were able to classify the type of ice cream which would work for the Punekars.
Challenges Faced While Running SavlaHari
Patrons of all ages often enjoy a sugary treat at the end of a meal when dining out, a ritual that seals their response to the experience. Some of the challenges which dessert cafes face in the market are:
- Penetrating a new dessert brand in the market:
With cut-throat competition in the F&B industry, there are a lot of new dessert cafes opening alongside some of the already established brands. According to Dhane, initially, it was a challenge for them to penetrate into the market. Being a new dessert brand, they wanted to position their brand in such a way as to make a mark in the market. Customers usually prefer going to already established dessert cafes. Their claim to fame: a product that tastes great Because of its original and pure taste, SalvaHari has grown organically within a year and Dhane feels blessed that it is now among the most loved ice-cream and Mastani brands in Pune.
- Managing Franchise Partners:Pot Ice-creams are highly perishable items. The monitoring of franchisees becomes an indispensable part of managing operations. It is crucial that the vision of the parent company is implemented and that there is uniformity in the product or services that a brand is selling. Dhane mentions that automation has helped him a lot to cut down on wastage and in delivering the products efficiently to the franchisees.
Strategies To Run A Successful QSR
- Maintain Top Quality Of Your Product:
The success or failure of a restaurant is attached to the quality of the product offered. Dhane mentions that it is critical that the food should be fresh, prepared properly and served at the right temperature. The presentation of the food is as important as the taste. Consistency is key at all times.
- Harmonious Relationship With The Franchise Partner:
Although there is no certain way of having a thoroughly harmonious relationship, recognizing the deep-rooted cause of conflicts can help. Communication among both parties helps to maintain the brand quality and further, assists in maintaining the consistency of the product.
- Following Standard Processes and Guidelines:
According to Dhane, a standard set of processes and guidelines helps in removing employee guesswork about how tasks are to be executed, improving productivity, efficiency and teamwork while providing a base for evaluating performance and making improvements.
- Strong Emphasis On Brand Building:
According to Dhane, restaurant branding is about more than creating a strong visual identity or a memorable dining experience for the customers. Building a strong brand is about learning exactly who you are as an organization and why people prefer coming to your restaurant, rather than visiting your competitor.
Role Of Base Kitchen Module At SavlaHari
Technology in restaurants has evolved and come a long way. A restaurant management software comes with all the features that can help improve and enhance every possible function within a restaurant, be it kitchen order management, online ordering, timely food delivery or inventory management. Dhane has been using Posist at his outlet.
“The kind of architecture designed by Posist is beyond comparison with any other POS software in the market. The base kitchen module helps me in tracking every single item which enters our factory. The inventory is recorded in an efficient manner, such that every single detail about how much stock is required and how much is actually present,” says Dhane.
The inventory module helps them in keeping a watch on the portion size of each ice cream served.
‘Ice cream being a loose product, there are chances of wastage and over serving the customers. A single scoop of 100ml might go to 128ml if not served correctly. With Posist, such minor details about the product can also be tracked,’ says Dhane.
Automation has helped Dhane to track any variance between the Ideal Stock that should be utilized during a day and the actual Physical Stock that’s available at the finish. It also gives detailed reports about Stock consumption and makes data-driven decisions.
The success of a restaurant doesn’t come instantly. A restauranteur has to work vigorously to sustain its restaurant business. A successful restauranteur understands what its customers want and how they can deliver results. Once you have established the reliability of your restaurant as a brand, you can look back at all the hard work, and feel that it was all worth the efforts!
