Higher studies and international degrees do not
necessarily make a successful businessman, but a passion for business
does. That is the lesson learnt from the success story of Asvin Simon,
chief executive officer, Bangs, a Chennai-based fried chicken brand.
Bangs currently operates 40 outlets across India with 400 employees working for it. The company started with a small kiosk covering an area of just 80sq ft, and now has a presence in over thirteen states, including Tamil Nadu.
The others are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The chain also operates 40-plus outlets overseas. These outlets are a mix of three types of formats – restaurant, kiosk and express.
Simon, a software engineer by qualification, started the first Bangs outlet in the year 2009, and now plans to open 500 outlets across the country. He stated his plans for the next five years, of which 100 will be company-owned, while the others will be franchise outlets.
The company will be targeting the metropolitan cities and mini-metros. Bangs also plans to raise Rs 30 crore via private equity to set up its company-owned outlets.
When quizzed about his choice of an off-beat career, Simon said, “Studying and getting a white-collar job was something I was never interested in. I never wanted to work under anyone. Instead, I always dreamt of running my business. After all, it was in my blood, as my father himself is the successful businessman into imports and exports and shipments, and I enjoyed assisting him.”
“Venturing into an altogether new business was not an easy job despite coming from a business background. Getting the approval and support of the family was the first challenge. They eagerly wanted me to stick to education career of a software engineer. So the first thing I did was setting up an small information technology company in 2007, which would provide a side income for me for my other dream at the same time making my family happy,” he said.
Simon then shifted his focus to setting up Bangs. “Here started the original challenge of starting a venture in a new venture sector (food). It took almost a year to do groundwork about the segment, right from making a perfect recipe to finding the right target audience (including the demographic it would be catering to). Finally, the first outlet in 2009, when I was 23,” he said.
“The investment for the first kiosk was Rs 5,00,000. I had the support of my parents, relatives and friends. But, it is just not the money that makes a business work successfully. A clear vision and future outlook is also needed. Even before I started my first kiosk, I had a clear picture and plan about where my business would be in next five years,” Simon said.
Talking about his strengths, he said, “One has to be courageous and a brave-heart to sustain in the business. Also, a clear vision is a must, but along with it one has to be flexible. For instance, when catering to the tastes of customers in the north, I have to be flexible in my offerings and setting up outlets. The strategies used for setting up outlets in the south are completely different from those in the north. Even the consumers' preferences for food items is different. So one has to trust his/her ability while running the business.”
Today, Asvin is on an expansion spree. He plans to expand his network by entering into the overseas market. The company will open three outlets in Qatar by the end of the year and more in Malaysia and Dubai the following year.
Bangs currently operates 40 outlets across India with 400 employees working for it. The company started with a small kiosk covering an area of just 80sq ft, and now has a presence in over thirteen states, including Tamil Nadu.
The others are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The chain also operates 40-plus outlets overseas. These outlets are a mix of three types of formats – restaurant, kiosk and express.
Simon, a software engineer by qualification, started the first Bangs outlet in the year 2009, and now plans to open 500 outlets across the country. He stated his plans for the next five years, of which 100 will be company-owned, while the others will be franchise outlets.
The company will be targeting the metropolitan cities and mini-metros. Bangs also plans to raise Rs 30 crore via private equity to set up its company-owned outlets.
When quizzed about his choice of an off-beat career, Simon said, “Studying and getting a white-collar job was something I was never interested in. I never wanted to work under anyone. Instead, I always dreamt of running my business. After all, it was in my blood, as my father himself is the successful businessman into imports and exports and shipments, and I enjoyed assisting him.”
“Venturing into an altogether new business was not an easy job despite coming from a business background. Getting the approval and support of the family was the first challenge. They eagerly wanted me to stick to education career of a software engineer. So the first thing I did was setting up an small information technology company in 2007, which would provide a side income for me for my other dream at the same time making my family happy,” he said.
Simon then shifted his focus to setting up Bangs. “Here started the original challenge of starting a venture in a new venture sector (food). It took almost a year to do groundwork about the segment, right from making a perfect recipe to finding the right target audience (including the demographic it would be catering to). Finally, the first outlet in 2009, when I was 23,” he said.
“The investment for the first kiosk was Rs 5,00,000. I had the support of my parents, relatives and friends. But, it is just not the money that makes a business work successfully. A clear vision and future outlook is also needed. Even before I started my first kiosk, I had a clear picture and plan about where my business would be in next five years,” Simon said.
Talking about his strengths, he said, “One has to be courageous and a brave-heart to sustain in the business. Also, a clear vision is a must, but along with it one has to be flexible. For instance, when catering to the tastes of customers in the north, I have to be flexible in my offerings and setting up outlets. The strategies used for setting up outlets in the south are completely different from those in the north. Even the consumers' preferences for food items is different. So one has to trust his/her ability while running the business.”
Today, Asvin is on an expansion spree. He plans to expand his network by entering into the overseas market. The company will open three outlets in Qatar by the end of the year and more in Malaysia and Dubai the following year.
