JOIN USEnter the world of waffles
His store is the true test of a labour of love. Set in one of the opulent areas of South Bengaluru, Bannerghatta Road, ‘Waffle Walle’ started in June 2014 by Chetan Kedia, with an aim to introduce a delicious plate of waffles as a breakfast meal and break the myth that only ‘idlis’ and ‘vadas’ can make one’s day.
He rushes like a bubbling brook that can’t be stopped as he starts talking about his first love – food. Five minutes into a conversation and one can understand that food has played an integral role for a large chunk of his childhood. “I was born to be a foodie,” he happily says.
He recalls how, as a child, he was a part of a number of ‘foodie groups’ and was always experimenting with pots and pans and herbs and spices in his kitchen. He would actively follow food shows by top chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Oliver Jamie. He adds, “My family would find it weird as to why I didn’t concentrate on my studies. However, I was very passionate about food and always dreamt of opening a restaurant. Later, life took a different turn. I finished my degree in Commerce and started working at an investment bank. But in the back of my mind, I knew I was not very happy and the dream stuck on. I was always one of those lost people looking at ways to pursue my dream.”
Through his job, he travelled abroad and re-discovered his passion for food. He developed a tongue for waffles there, did some research on Belgian and Leigh waffles when he went to Brussels as he knew that they were the pioneers of waffles and decided to open his own waffle store when he came back to India. He adds, “Waffles wasn’t very famous back then as it is now. I decided to start something which sells authentic Belgian and Leigh waffles. I didn’t want to venture into the ‘American Waffles’ space. We have waffles with a variety of toppings and there are a number of USP’s. The most famous ones include waffles with strawberries and cream, nutella and banana and maple syrup. We have importers and distributers and import strawberries and cream, maple syrup from Canada and blueberries as we want to keep our taste authentic.”
Chetan’s main aim in opening ‘Waffle Walle’ is to make people aware of the different kinds of waffles, the items and ingredients that go behind them and the taste that us unique to every kind of waffle. He also wishes to expand his store without compromising on lack of quality. “I don’t want to go back to working in a bank. I am happy with my job now.”
‘Waffle Walle’ is located in Meenakshi Mall, Bannerghatta Road.