Usually, weekends mean relaxing or going out with friends and family. But for Rishabh Kumar and Shashikant Singh, two product managers, it is all about selling delicious Namkeen Gosht arranged over Malabar Coin Parathas in a bustling Noida market lane. People wait in queues for one plate of the devouring dish. The buzz of the place has made this weekend cart viral in just a few days.
The duo launched Laham, a weekend food cart, serving only one delicacy: Namkeen Gosht. Instead of typical street vendors catering to multiple cuisines, Kumar and Singh bet big on doing one thing exceptionally well across three simple portions. For Rs 159, they serve half (two pieces of parathas), full (four pieces) at Rs 279, and large (six pieces) at Rs 399. The buzz of the place had people waiting in long queues. Alongside, when the main dish runs out, they turn to their gravy option, including pieces of mutton to satiate customers’ cravings.
Why The Name “Laham”?
The name “Laham” is an Arabic word for meat. The cart’s lead cook, Rishabh Kumar, tasted Laham Charsi for the first time in Hyderabad. And I love the word, Laham. I think it has a nice ring to it when somebody says, 'Laham chalte hain (Let's go to Laham),' said Kumar. The idea behind the cart is just to serve a complete meal, “but in bite-size portions”, making it easier to eat on the street.
Laham Charsi is a street-style meat dish from Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan that uses minimal spices.
From 9 To 5 Job To Weekend FoodCart
Cooking for nearly nine years, Kumar has always been keen on learning new dishes from his parents or YouTube videos. While working as a product manager in Bengaluru, Kumar thought of serving people something exquisite, such as Champaran Mutton or the UP-style mutton or chicken, that was uncommon in the area.
But Namkeen Gosht is one dish, which I first cooked in Bengaluru and I felt this is something very unique. It's something I don't see anywhere being served. So when I came to Noida, I cooked it again. I served it to my friends. Everyone loved it. So I decided to start with this," said Kumar.
Earlier this year, both Kumar and Singh moved to Noida. As colleagues and product managers, the duo work corporate jobs five days a week and give their weekends to the cart. "On Saturdays and Sundays, we don't really sleep," Kumar said with a smile. "We close around 11 or 11.30 pm. We have to put the equipment back in the cloud kitchen. It goes on till 2 am.
Then we have to wake up again at 7 or 8 am to start prep for the day."
How Was Laham Started?
Kumar said that he understands only two things - fashion and food. While fashion requires capital, food needs only a minimum investment. With only Rs 35,000, Kumar and Singh began the food cart idea. They first started cooking at Singh’s apartment until the landlord objected, which led to a cloud kitchen setup. From designing the cart to finalizing the logo, they did everything on their own with help from their friends. He said, "We used that month to plan everything, from designing the cart to marketing, brand logo, perfecting the recipe, etc. "And then D-day came. We launched on September 5."
Putting Instagram to its best use, they earned Rs 6 lakh in revenue in the first month through Kumar’s account. While the business is in net profit, nearly all of it goes straight back in.
Laham is a four-member team: Kumar, Singh, and Kumar's sister, Priyanka. Priyanka helps with cooking, and his childhood friend, Arpit Singh, runs the operations. A friend from college, Rachit, handles billing, while other friends and colleagues pitch in with prep and packaging.
From 2.5 kg To 25 kg
On the first day, nobody came for the first ten minutes. Recalling the struggle of bringing customers, "We were approaching customers to tell them what we're selling because the concept was unique. Their first customer ordered another extra-large plate after trying one plate. That day, they sold 25 plates. On the second day, it was 35. What began with a mere 2.5 kg of mutton expanded to 25 kg, and they planned to extend further. Later, they moved the cart to a private property without any authorization issues.
The business expanded leaps and bounds. After being invited to food festivals, Kumar and Singh served in Durga Puja pandals.
The Future Of Laham
The food cart is not just a fluke. Kumar has a plan and a clock attached to it. Explaining his future goals for Laham, he said, "The idea is to open multiple carts. If we manage to do that, we build a brand name for Laham. Then I feel we would start getting into kiosks. A kiosk would need more investment, but not as much as a restaurant. The end goal is eventually a fine-dining restaurant,” he said.
While the duo is aiming to open the carts and kiosks in Delhi-NCR and Gorakhpur, which is Kumar's hometown, the end goal is to establish their business in Mumbai. "For three years, neither Shashi nor I will take anything from Laham. Whatever money we would be earning, we would invest it back in Laham. After three years, our decision would follow whatever state Laham would be in," said Kumar.