Before going out for lunch or dinner, we usually take hours to decide which cuisine and restaurant to go for. But now, that one of the many tensions is gone as United Kitchen brings to you a variety of cuisines under one roof. Yes! United Kitchen is one such place where you don’t need to compromise your mood as you get the cuisine of your choice.
About United Kitchen:
United Kitchen brings to you a total of 23 kitchens with a sitting area of 300 plus, a play zone for children, green lawn and terrace for parties; flea market for exhibitors, live music, DJ, live performances, stand-up comedy and much more. With cuisines from all over India, United Kitchen is claimed to be Vadodara’s first and only premium food court. The first of its kind of food court in the city with exceptional amenities, United Kitchen surely gives a premium feel to each and every visitor.
About the Founders of UK Baroda:
The United Kitchen has been founded by two childhood friends turned business partners- Mr. Punit Koka and Mrs. Ruchita Babla. Though both of them come from a total different background, i.e. Punit being an architect and Ruchita being a chartered accountant, their love and passion for food brought them together to start the premium and exclusive food court. With a common thought of starting up a business, the two of them united, leaving their respective full time jobs, and indulged themselves in the business and did all that waspossible to build United Kitchen. Sounds like a risk? Well it indeed was a huge risk that they took! But as the saying goes, fortune favours the brave! United Kitchen has been running successfully and has made a place in everyone’s heart.
United Kitchen Benefits All!
This start-up is one such that extends its benefits not just to the owners, but also to the stakeholders, i.e., each and every one related to United Kitchen. Be it the chefs, or the investors or the visitors for that matter. The owners- Ruchita and Punit are benefited as their landlord has been a blessing in disguise. 2 months of their rent was waved off during the Covid-19 Pandemic. The chefs are at advantage as they need not pay the kitchen rent till December 2020. All they need to do is pay 25% of their everyday income to the owners. Also, United Kitchen is an open platform where food enthusiasts who have a good hand at cooking can be an entrepreneur and join them to open their own food stall. Basically, United Kitchen gives entrepreneurial opportunities to the general public who want to start their own cloud kitchen. The visitors also enjoy as the prices have been kept very pocket-friendly so that each and every product is easily affordable and they don’t regret their visit. The first 2 months after the launch showed high and positive response from the visitors. Even though the business was affected due to the rains last year and the pandemic this year, things are going smooth amid such a situation.
Managing United Kitchen Now
As the business had shown a rise after the re-launch in December 2019, It had to be shut in March 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown. Now, as the unlock norms are in force, United Kitchen is back in action with all necessary precautions taken properly. At the United Kitchen, out of 23 kitchens in total, only 7 are being run so as to avoid a cluster of public. As and when the situation is under control and new norms are made, United Kitchen will slowly start operating its business by opening more kitchens with time.
Atma Nirbhar Since Day One
Punit and Ruchita have followed the “Atma Nirbhar” scheme since the beginning of their business. They have been handling and managing the business all by themselves without any external support. Punit being an architect has designed the whole food court and created the arena. Ruchita during the conversation said “Be it financial or any other external issue, problems have always been as a hindrance. But we have high hopes that we will overcome all the obstacles and we will continue to work with positive vibes. The worse the situation now, the more fruitful will be the future.” They still feel that the business could have been one step ahead if they had gotten the government’s support. But since that did not happen, they plan on raising the bar all by themselves!
United Kitchen’s marketing was seen over all forms of media. But social media played a major role as maximum people were made aware of the initiative through the digital platforms.
United Kitchen at a Glimpse:
To name a few, United Kitchen offers the following:
Chefs from Amritsar manage “Punjab Zero Kilometre” with Kulcha, Chhole, Dal Makhani and Lassi under the menu. Chefs with 3 decades of professional experience manage “Chennai Express” having authentic South Indian cuisines like Idli, Vadai, Dosai, Uthapam, and Sambar. Expert chef from Maharashtra prepares 5 varieties of Pav Bhaji and Maska Pulao under the banner of “Aamchi Mumbai ”. “The Paratha Hut” serves around 8 varieties of parathas, Sarson ka Saag and Makai ki Roti made by chefs from Delhi. The Ahmedabad franchise of “WOW Waffle” has its outlet with United Kitchen serving a variety of waffles, potato twisters, milkshakes and thick shakes thereby fulfilling the café culture. Chefs from Uttarakhand keep the taste buds alive with their Dry Manchurian, Soups, Rice and Noodles at “Dragon N Spice”. You must be thinking that how did they leave behind their own state and cuisine? The most popular among Gujju’s is their favourite evening snack- Dabeli, which is served at “Kutchi Dabeli” which also offers Tana Tan Toast, Murukku Sandwich, Dhinchak Dabeli and varieties. Other stalls offer Kathiawadi Snacks, Sandwiches, Burgers, Mexican Cuisines, Beverages and much more.
At United Kitchen, Punit and Ruchita are not worried about the income that they earn. Their main motto has always been Customer Satisfaction. If the customer is satisfied, they’ll surely visit again and that is how they are assured of future income. Customers keep enjoying different schemes like BOGO and Special Discounts. United Kitchen is planning to go Digital by developing an in-house application so that people get food options on one click.
Here’s wishing United Kitchen great luck for their future endeavours!
Prinkit.in’s team conducting an interview with the owners of United Kitchen. It was indeed a great pleasure to cover their story.
