After having graduated from Wharton Business School in the US and investment banking for a year in New York, Neha Sethi realized that finance is not her cup of tea. Turning to bake for comfort, she found herself feeding friends and family. It was then that a friend suggested she sell her cookies to random people but market the idea via social media. “I thought it sounded crazy but he was active on social media and said he would help. And that’s literally how Sweetish House Mafia started! With a crazy idea and a plunge of faith,” she recalls with a smile. Neha worked from her kitchen at home, using Bajaj ovens which weren’t expensive to procure, and delivering in a Tata Nano which was a wedding gift from friends.
The name was thought of by her brother-in-law and partner, Aakash Sethi and the logo was designed by Neha on PowerPoint. “Marketing was done via social media which worked in a different way back then. Every post that was put up on Facebook or Twitter was seen by everyone following the brand. There was constant engagement and interaction because deliveries of the cookie were decided, and then posted, on these platforms. People voted for the location they wanted me to send the Nano too. It was fun! And because it was all anonymous it made it all the more intriguing,” she says. After about a year or so, they realized that they should capitalize on the fame that SHM had managed to garner so far. “We figured that people wouldn’t chase the Nano forever and that’s when we decided it was time to open a proper store. So, in September 2014 my identity was revealed and our first store opened in Todi Mills, Mumbai. Since then we’ve gone onward and upwards with 12 stores across 4 cities, funding from a billionaire, and many more things in the pipeline,” the co-founder and head chef of SHM tells us. Excerpts from the interview:
Why did you feel the need to be an anonymous baker in the initial year? And what finally led to coming up with your first store in Mumbai?
It was basically a marketing ploy. When people don’t know you, they are bound to wonder about who you are and where you come from. Also, I wanted ‘Nano selling the delicious cookies’ to pop into our customer’s heads when they thought of cookies, and not think about Neha Sethi.
After about a year of selling the cookies out of the back of a Nano, I realized that it was doing well but this success was short-lived. People would chase a Nano that sold cookies only for a while until the idea was fresh and had the ability to excite them. The trend would eventually fade away. There was a need for permanent supply. So, we thought of capitalizing on the idea while people were still in awe of it. So, we inaugurated the first store for SHM in September 2014 and the word spread like fire. Once there was a store, our customers knew that they could order and eat delectable cookies whenever they wished to.
What do you think was and continues to be SHM’s strength?
Our USP is the fact that we make freshly baked cookies. In Bombay, at least before SHM, the only place to offer such freshly baked cookies was Indigo Deli. Everywhere else you had biscuits – crunchy and hard. Cookies are meant to be gooey on the inside and crisp on the outside. We made that popular in India. These cookies are our USP and we use the best quality ingredients to prepare them.
One of our other strengths is the focus we put on the quality of food and its consistency. For Aakash and me, the quality forms the crux of our product along with the taste. We also take constructive criticism seriously and work on it. Another important factor that keeps customers coming back to us is good customer service.
You have expanded into other categories like shakes and ice cream sandwiches etc…
When we started our company, we wanted to stick with cookies and cookie-related products. We branched out into shakes and ice cream sandwiches because those allowed cookies to be incorporated into them very easily. Plus, shakes and ice cream sandwiches are always a crowd favourite, so it was a logical progression. We have included brownies in our menu now and are looking at other product categories as well.
What is the plan for expanding to more cities and strengthening the existing ones?
Currently, we are set up in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Pune. We are going to open more stores in these locations so as to strengthen the base. We are looking to open in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad in the near future as well. The plan is to be available in key geographies and then deliver across the country. We are also focusing more on company-owned stores vs. franchises.
What advice would you offer others who want to start a food business?
Hard work, focus, research, organisation, teamwork. These are the things you need to be most diligent about. Hard work because you could have all the passion in the world but without putting in the sweat and hours, passion will only take you this far. Research is so important so that you know exactly what you’re getting into. Talk to people in the industry to understand what to look out for and whether there is a market for your offering. The organization is key to a successful business. Being organized and having a good grip on what’s going on will take you far.
And lastly, teamwork. My life has been made so much easier because of my brother-in-law and partner, Aakash Sethi. He has taken over the business operations and expansion while I can focus on getting the best product out. Knowing when to ask for help and not having an ego about it is also very important. It’ll keep you sane and focused on what you can do best while letting someone else focus on what they can do best.
Sweetish House Mafia for TMM
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