Techie turns into a successful foodpreneur

Ordering food online has become common now, thanks to the Covid-19 crisis. A techie-turned foodpreneur, who had introduced this online concept in Mysuru, around five years ago, has been supplying authentic home-cooked food, at affordable price, to thousands of registered users.

Murali Gundanna, a software engineer, who quit his lucrative job around five years ago, to become an entrepreneur, entered the food business in 2015. He was the first online supplier of food in Mysuru. He set up ‘Food Box’ outlet at Chamundipuram in 2019.

Murali recalls the support of his late grandmother, in sharing authentic recipes and his aunts Usha and Sandhya, who helped him script the success story, turning a role model for many youths. However, he was ridiculed for quitting his job. “I was hesitant and informed about my business plans to my parents only after three months,” he said. He is the son of U Sudha and G S Gundanna, residents of Mysuru.

Sharing his experiences with DH, Murali said, “I felt something lacking in life, although I had a well-paid job. Then, I decided to quit the job and started food business. I started off my experiment at a garage, with two stoves of my grandfather, ably supported by my aunts with their culinary skills and managerial capability.”

“A couple of my friends joined hands and started publicising through word of mouth, by visiting friends and requesting them to spread the word to their contacts about the food orders. It was home-made food, with a fixed menu, unlike restaurants. Our objective was to provide tasty food at affordable price. Now, we supply around 2,000 to 3,000 boxes every week.”

Murali said that he caters to a variety of clients, including techies, doctors, students and senior citizens. “As senior citizens find it difficult, to order online, on a website, we attend to the orders on WhatsApp. Just send ‘hi’ to the Food Box number, and send address and landmark to get registered. We send the menu one day in advance, to help them to order comfortably. The breakfast order is accepted before 7.45 am, lunch by 12.30 pm and dinner before 7.30 pm. The price is also fixed as the menu. Breakfast is available at Rs 50, lunch at Rs 90 and dinner at Rs 80,” he said.

Murali explains about the support of his friends Aalaap and Yathiraj. “There is a team of around 25 people in the business, right from procuring groceries to supply. We supplied food even during the Covid lockdown, although the outlet at Chamundipuram was closed. Online sales picked up by 25% during the period. We supplied food packets to the needy during Kodagu floods last year and also during Bandipur fire,” he said.

Murali recalled that Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy encouraged them after tasting food at an event at NIE-IT. After venturing into business, I had supplied food to him a number of times, whenever he was in the city, he said.