Cloud kitchens make a mark in Thiruvananthapuram with pocket-friendly food and a wide range of cuisines

Still ordering in, though lockdowns are over? You are not alone. As cloud kitchens juggle cuisines and experiment with new dishes from a single space, takeaway in Thiruvananthapuram gets more interesting every day

By about 11 am, 25-old Rohit Shaji’s hands are full as orders pour in via delivery apps for four brands — Supaloud, Pizza Party, Indian Rasoee and Wok Man Chinese, each specialising in a different cuisine. The four kitchens operate from 550 square feet of space at Charachira where two chefs are busy making and packing the food for customers across the city.

Rohit is one of a growing tribe of entrepreneurs running cloud kitchens in the city. Without dining space or waiters, cloud kitchens, also known as dark kitchens or ghost kitchens, are reshaping the food business.

Says Rohit about his venture: “My target was the Gen Z crowd and millennials.” Supaloud was started 10 months ago, after which he launched his other brands in the same space, about four months ago.

The pandemic and lockdown saw a cloud kitchen boom across the country. While many eateries and restaurants struggled to keep afloat during the lockdowns, cloud kitchens quickly found a place as their overhead costs, rentals and staff requirements were comparatively less.

Bharat Ajith Srinivasan, a lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, and his partner Thomas Thelly decided to cash in on their experience while working for delivery apps. They launched three brands under one roof — Khao (Mughlai), Kappa stories (ethnic Kerala food) and Samurai Hanzo’s (pan Asian), all of which operate from one kitchen at Poojappura in the city.

Says Bharat: “We had studied the market extensively and had a fair idea of what would work and the kind of customers we could expect before we entered the market. We have a team of analysts in Kochi keeping a close eye on the business and analysing how we could promote our brands.”

According to an analysis by Redseer, the cloud kitchen market size in India is expected to reach $2 billion by 2024, as cloud kitchens give customers gourmet food and the comfort of dining at home.