After Completing my education in 2012, I joined my family Business Giani’s. Started by my Grandfather, Giani Gurcharan Singh 1956 in Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk, with only Rabri Faluda & Mango Shake, and later added three ice cream flavors. Later, my father, Mr.Amarjeet Singh, and my uncle, Mr.Paramjeet Singh, took on the responsibilities of taking it ahead with proper Ice cream parlors, a variety of new flavors, shakes, and sundaes. Next in line were my brothers and I. We are the third generation to step into Giani's business.
I am the youngest among them and became a part of the family business a decade ago. While I was still learning, my brothers took it all to an exceptional position in the market. Meanwhile, I received all the necessary training that would help me understand the brand, what we do, why we do it, and how I can make a difference. That's how we started with the revamping of the brand and the ambiance of it.
In 2015 we hired top agencies to design a new logo and branding development. Then, in 2016, a whole new look for the outlets was finalized and launched. It enabled us to elevate the standard of our brand to a new level. Soon after, we started with the expansion of the brand more aggressively and introduced a batch of new products and flavors. I am very grateful to all the people who made it possible and the customers who welcomed it all with great enthusiasm.
2017 was the beginning of something more exciting, The Waffle Co., with primary products such as delicious waffles and mini pancakes. Needless to say, it gained unimaginable traction, and now we have over 70 outlets across different cities, PAN India.
In 2022, we launched another brand for frozen yogurt and churros, Go Fro. Currently, we have four outlets in Delhi. My team and I are working on different sets of plans revolving around the branding and expansion of Go Fro. So, hopefully, you will see more stores soon.
Our recent brainchild of 2023 is Whey To Go, which comes under Giani's itself. It is a venture into healthy and protein-rich products. The products include energy bars, protein bars, sugar-free and protein-rich ice creams, and peanut butter. We are working towards adding more products under this brand.
2. What are some of the day-to-day business challenges that you face & how do you overcome them?
The food and beverages industry is really tough, I will admit. It takes a lot of hard skin, quickness, cleverness, and awareness to be at a level that surpasses your competitors.
The main challenge would be maintaining the quality of our products consistently. You need to ensure that you are working with talented and quick-witted employees as well as the latest technology to make sure that your product exceeds the expectations of your customers.
That brings us to the next challenge, delivering what the customers expect. Preferences never remain the same. There are so many options for a consumer today in the F&B industry that their expectations are ever-changing. I aim to be the top preference for my customers. It takes a lot of R&D, observations, accommodations, and consistency to deliver more than what we promise.
With lots of R&D, as a business owner, you realize that you can never underestimate your competition, especially in the F&B industry. That's another challenge; to keep up and go beyond what the competitors do. It is a never-ending rut to stay ahead. You have to come up with unique offers and incredible products, consistently promote your brand, adapt to whatever new trend, and accommodate the customer's ever-changing preferences.
Other challenges can be the maintenance of hygiene and safety, maintaining an online presence, dealing with seasonal fluctuation, etc. But these are simply part of the business, and I ensure that these factors are taken care of in the best way possible.
3. What is your current and ideal work/life balance? What measures do you take to control the work/life balance of you and your employees?
Having a work-life balance is very important to keep your as well others' sanity intact. A person who is consistently engrossed in his business/job and doesn't acknowledge the importance of his personal life will always stay under stress. I don't want that for myself, and I definitely do not wish that for the hard workers who are contributing to my business goals.
Therefore, I prefer that my employees refrain from working beyond working hours. I may have to work a little over the working hours, but I ensure that I have some personal time and recollect my thoughts. And when I am with family, I ensure that I am present and attentive. It is not easy running varied businesses, but everyone needs to feel the warmth and love of their family and friends.
4. How do you leverage software & technologies for business efficiency?
Technology has helped businesses achieve consistency and efficiency like never before. I vouch for integrating technology into one's business infrastructure because of how easy and quick it can make processes. We have state-of-the-art machinery and technology that help us maintain a good flow of business processes.
We have inventory software systems that enable us to track all the production. We have HRMs that help the HR and the employees. We have CRMs that help maintain our relationship with the customers, and then there's CMS to take care of our online presence. All of these technological solutions have made a massive difference in my business over the years.
5. How do you stay connected with the F&B industry, and the apps that you use to do so?
Social Media is the primary connection that keeps me updated about the latest trends coming up in the industry. It is fascinating to see how creative people in this industry can be, and you can learn a lot. For a more professional insight, we obviously have LinkedIn. The platform has helped me connect with a lot of professionals from the F&B industry. Creating new networks has been very informative and helpful.
So many unique brains out there; it's thrilling. Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook are some of my go-to applications for enjoying content related to the industry. A lot of R&D from my side and my employees enables us to find ways to add new flavors into the lives of the customers. We keep checking what the competitors are doing and how we can do better. I have subscribed to several newsletters that keep me informed about a lot of things.
6. What are your future plans?
Oh, the future really looks very exciting! We have over 235 Giani's outlets in the northern and western regions of the country. We are working towards making it to 300 outlets by the end of the year. The future is the modern trade expansion in PAN India. Giani's has yet to really make an entry in the southern and eastern regions of our country.
It will be pretty challenging, a whole new market to explore, but with the zeal and support of my team, I am sure we will be more than fine. We have recently launched Whey To Go, a brand that offers a variety of products catering to people conscious about fitness and health. Now the aim is to gain a prominent position in the market and expand the brand PAN India.
Apart from that, I am also working closely with my team to achieve a milestone for The Waffle Co. It has more than 70 outlets. I want to see it surpass 100 by the end of this year. In a nutshell, Sure, the market today is very tough, but so far, things are going in the right direction, and hopefully, everything will play out quite nicely.
Brief Bio:
Co-founder at The Waffle Co., Whey To Go, and Go Fro to leverage my experience as a strategic and visionary leader to drive growth and profitability.
Interviewed By - Aarya Gode
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