Welcome to Money Making Story,

Today, we’re thrilled to share the story of The Pizza Bakery, where two brothers turned a failed franchise deal into a ₹125 Cr pizza empire.

In this discussion, we’ll delve into his:

• Key Takeaway

• Spotting a Gap in the Market

• Building the Brand from Scratch

• Expansion Based on Demand

• AI Tools You Must Not Miss

• Cracking the Formula for Growth

• Overcoming Setbacks

• Expanding the Portfolio

• Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• A Story Worth Reading

Key Takeaway

“Success in the restaurant industry comes from a combination of strategic location choices, product excellence, and a willingness to adapt when challenges arise.”

Starting a business is often an unpredictable journey, and for the founders of The Pizza Bakery, it began with a deposit they couldn’t afford to waste. What was initially meant to be a franchise venture turned into an independent pizza empire, now generating over ₹125 crore annually. Here’s how it all happened.

When the founders of The Pizza Bakery decided to bring a high-quality pizza brand to Bangalore, they initially sought a franchise model. They had identified a gap in the city’s food scene—while Delhi had multiple premium pizza brands, Bangalore was still dominated by fast-food chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

They found a promising franchise opportunity with Fat Lulu’s, a renowned brand in Delhi. Negotiations began, and after scouting for weeks, they secured a prime Indiranagar 12th Main Road location, signing a long lease and paying a hefty deposit. However, just when things seemed set, a disagreement on royalty fees led to the deal falling apart. The founders found themselves stuck with a lease and a location, but no brand.

Instead of backing out, they took the risk and built their own brand—The Pizza Bakery.

After months of scouting locations, they signed a long lease for a prime spot in Indiranagar, 12th Main, a fast-developing food district. But just as the deal was about to be finalized, they had a disagreement over royalty fees with Fat Lulu.

With no prior experience in food service and no franchise playbook to follow, they had to start from scratch.

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Spotting a Gap in the Market

The idea for The Pizza Bakery wasn’t driven by a deep passion for food but rather by an observed market gap. While visiting Delhi, the founders noticed that premium, artisanal pizza was widely available, while Bangalore’s market was dominated by chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

The goal wasn’t to build a large chain—it was to open a single outlet that could provide good returns.

Building the Brand from Scratch

The first step was to create a product that stood out. They wanted to ensure their pizzas were of artisanal quality, different from the mass-produced options available. This meant focusing on sourdough pizza bases, premium ingredients, and a dining experience unlike anything Bangalore had seen before.

They brought on Chef Saha to help curate a menu and spent months perfecting the dough recipe. Every detail was meticulously planned—from selecting the best ingredients to ensuring their pizzas traveled well for delivery.

For two months, they experimented with hydration levels, yeast fermentation, and cold fermentation techniques to perfect their dough.

The first outlet started with minimal overheads, no marketing spend, and a family-driven operation where everyone took on different roles:

• Mom was the cashier

• One brother managed tech and orders

• Dad handled quality checks

• Sister-in-law handled customer complaints

Word-of-mouth marketing played a crucial role in their early success. Friends and family visited first, spreading the word. The prime location helped attract walk-in customers, and soon, the brand started gaining traction.

Expansion Based on Demand

The first outlet, despite being modest in size, quickly saw success. Within months, the seating capacity had to be expanded from 40 to 125 seats.

By focusing on organic growth rather than aggressive expansion, The Pizza Bakery slowly opened more locations.

Today, the brand has:

16 outlets, including one in Colombo.

An 80 CR annual revenue, making it one of Bangalore’s most successful pizza brands.

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Cracking the Formula for Growth

After the success of the first outlet, expansion became a logical next step. Today, The Pizza Bakery has 16 outlets, including 15 in Bangalore and one in Colombo. The key to this growth? A well-planned scalability strategy:

1. High Street Locations Over Malls

   Unlike many restaurants that expand into malls, The Pizza Bakery focused on high-street locations, which had lower rental costs and provided higher visibility.

2. Cost-Effective Operations

   Rent accounts for around 10% of costs. Salaries and employee benefits take 15%. Food input costs are about 30%. Marketing, depending on the strategy, ranges between 5-15%. Keeping these costs under control allowed them to maintain a profit margin of over 20%.

3. Mastering Product and Branding

   Unlike traditional Italian restaurants, The Pizza Bakery positioned itself as a specialized dining experience with a strong brand identity. The name itself—“The Pizza Bakery”—reinforced its focus on artisanal pizza, helping it become synonymous with premium quality.

4. Leveraging Delivery Without Dependence

   Many restaurants struggle with the high commission rates of Swiggy and Zomato, which can take up to 40% of earnings. The Pizza Bakery optimized its menu listings, using high-quality food photography and ensuring strong menu-to-cart conversion rates. By maintaining strong dining revenues, they avoided over-reliance on food delivery platforms.

The Cost of Running a Restaurant

A well-run restaurant operates on carefully controlled margins. Here’s a breakdown of key costs in the food business:

• Rent: ~10%

• Salaries & Employee Benefits: 10% + 5% (housing, meals, uniforms)

• Utilities & Miscellaneous: 5%

• Food Costs: 30%

• Marketing: 5-15%

Navigating Aggregator Fees

Platforms like Swiggy and Zomato dominate India’s food delivery market, but their high commission fees (20-40%) make profitability difficult.

For small, single-outlet brands, relying too much on delivery platforms can destroy unit economics. However, once a brand scales, it gains negotiation leverage.

Overcoming Setbacks

Not everything has been smooth sailing. Amit recalls one of the toughest moments:

"In our first outlet, we had just 12 staff members—including my family, who handled various roles. One day, five chefs quit without notice right before a Friday dinner rush. It was a disaster—we had no idea what to do."

Staff turnover, logistical challenges, and the constant fear of failure were common obstacles.

Imposter Syndrome also crept in as the business scaled:

However, continuous learning and a strong team have kept the business on track.

Expanding the Portfolio

The Rise of Popo Ventures

With The Pizza Bakery’s success, Amit and his team launched Popo Ventures, a parent company housing multiple food brands:

• Paris Panini (15 outlets) – Specializing in gourmet sandwiches.

• Smash Guys – A soon-to-launch smash burger brand.

The expansion is driven by a belief that India’s restaurant market is evolving towards specialty cuisine brands rather than broad multi-cuisine formats.

Scaling While Maintaining Quality

Looking ahead, the focus is on sustainable expansion without compromising product quality.

Key goals include:

• Growing The Pizza Bakery and Paris Panini across more cities.

• Launching Smash Guys and expanding into the gourmet burger space.

• Expanding delivery operations while maintaining profitability.

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

1. Start Lean & Keep Overheads Low

   Don't overcommit on rent, staff, or marketing early on. Choose high-street locations over expensive malls to reduce fixed costs.

2. Prioritize Product Excellence

   A great product builds its own loyal customer base. Spend time refining recipes, sourcing the best ingredients, and maintaining consistency.

3. Be Strategic About Delivery Platforms

   Swiggy and Zomato can be beneficial but don’t rely on them too early. Negotiate better revenue shares once your brand gains traction.

4. Branding Matters

   A clear, compelling brand identity sets you apart in a competitive market. Invest in quality visuals, storytelling, and customer experience.

5. Adaptability is Key

   Challenges like staffing issues and imposter syndrome will arise—focus on solving problems one step at a time. Pivot when necessary and continuously innovate.

More about Nikhil Gupta

The Pizza Bakery’s success wasn’t meticulously planned—it was the result of adapting to challenges, spotting opportunities, and focusing on quality.

From nearly being stuck with an unworkable franchise deal to becoming one of Bangalore’s top pizza brands, the journey shows that in business, setbacks often create new and better opportunities.

A Story Worth Reading

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