From Rs 1 crore to Rs 121 crore business: Inspiring story of how two sisters built Theobroma

From Rs 1 crore to Rs 121 crore business: Inspiring story of how two sisters built Theobroma

Kainaz Messman Harchandrai and her sister Tina borrowed Rs 1 crore from their father when they started Theobroma in 2004.

Kainaz Messman Harchandrai, the co-founder of Theobroma, a brand that has achieved cult status when it comes to baked goods, was just 24 years old when she had a freak accident and was bedridden. 

 

Kainaz had completed her studies at The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Mumbai, and Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development (OCLD), Delhi, and was working as a pastry chef at Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur before her life changed. 

During a conversation with HerStory, Kainaz opened up about the same and said, "I simply loved my job, and being unable to do what I wanted to wasn’t something I was prepared for. The doctor had said I couldn’t be a chef, as I had to be on my feet all day." 

 

However, Kainaz made sure to take the challenges in stride. In 2004, Kainaz founded Theobroma along with her sister Tina Messman Wykes.

How Theobroma went from Rs 1 crore to Rs 121 crore

Kainaz and her sister Tina borrowed Rs 1 crore from their father when they started Theobroma in 2004. And now almost two decades later, the brand has established itself as a leading destination for food and beverages. Theobroma has a total of 78 outlets in various cities of India - multiple outlets in Mumbai, Delhi, NCR, Pune, Hyderabad, and now Bangalore. 

 

You will be surprised to know that Theobroma did a revenue of Rs 121 crore in FY21 and endeavors to double it this year. 

Kainaz said, "My father had one condition that we don’t return the money back, but put it for a cause that he believed and supported in. We set out on this journey agreeing to make only what we liked to eat ourselves. We promised to make it well, and keep it simple. Our business has evolved, as have we; we didn't have it mapped out." Opening up about her experience of building a cult brand, Kainaz said, "Running a food business isn’t easy. There are shelves to be filled and you need to learn to give away control once a professional team comes in." However, Kainaz feels that at the end of the day, it is all worth it.