How Chennai-based start-up Roll Baby Roll is catching on with the latest global food trends

Roll Baby Roll offers a variety of flavorful rolls catering to the 17-35 age group, with plans to expand nationwide.

The Roll Baby Roll story started on the streets of Chennai back in 2018 when the Hallyu wave was yet to submerge the country and gochujang still sounded like an onomatopoeic Tamil word akin to ‘jinguchan’. Now, boxes of this savoury, sweet and spicy red chilli paste are stocked up in Roll Baby Roll’s central kitchen as they are embracing new food trends that have taken over the world.

With the opening of its 15th store in Perambur as of May, Gandharv Dhingra, co-founder and CEO of the enterprise, says that he has been consistently surprised by Chennai. The brand has been co-founded by Nikesh Lamba. While he initially thought that the brand would cater to crowds looking to have a snack or a late night bite, a pivot has been observed. More people in the 17-35 age group, who tend to order from the restaurant, prefer eating these rolls as meals as they tend to have an element of protein, some vegetables and a healthy wrap option.

“When I began my career at ITC in Chennai, I ended up managing several restaurants and a night club. A roll was my go-to. Now, others in the same category are doing the same. They do want a variety though,” he says. It is why we have launched two new flavours of kaati rolls, their mainstay, as well as a number of other options including gluten-free no-oil wraps, shawarmas and kebab rolls.

Each roll takes about five months from conceptualisation to reach the menu board at their canary-yellow walled stores that are a maximum of 400 sq. ft. “Recipes take a couple of months to draw up and many more months to test and taste. Only after extensive trials with comments from friends and family, do we bring out a new flavour. Currently, we have a menu with over 70 rolls,” he says.

As part of their new launch, the Korean chicken roll offers bite-sized deep fried chicken pieces doused in a medley of yin and yang flavours that often define the gochujang experience. Their new Delhi-style kebab rolls wrapped in a roomali encasing, could do with softer fillings or more sauce to ensure a satisfying meal. The shawarma paneer roll with hummus, mayonnaise and the occasional pickled onion is a treat to eat, especially since the pita is soft. The kung pao paneer is heavy on the coriander and could do without the interruption of soggy peanuts.

The Roll Baby Roll experience is designed for a quick bite on the go. The brand will hence only be remembered by the taste each element of the roll offers — the crunch of the onion, the texture of the meat or paneer, and the sauces on the kaati roll. Gandharv is keen on ensuring that each element shines. “We hope to open 800 stores country-wide,” he says.