Build Business on No-Discount Model

ASIA IS home to 48 countries with multiple ethnic cuisines in each of these regions. There is limited awareness amongst consumers about this diversity. Majority of the boutique restaurants and five star hotels that offer quality Asian food are limited to serving Indo-Chinese or East Asian cuisines. Gourmet Asian food that comprises of delicacies from South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central Asia and Middle East is neither affordable nor readily available for the common masses. With a two-fold goal in mind, 48East was started to bring awareness about the diversity of Asian food and to offer eclectic Asian cuisine at an affordable price on demand.

Founded in August 2016 by Joseph Cherian and Nabhojit Ghosh, 48East is a Bangalore-based food startup inspired by Asian cuisine.

The authentic food experience from 48 different countries of Asia is carefully curated by the experience rich in-house chefs to suit the Indian palate without compromising the authenticity. And the menu changes weekly offering handpicked dishes from Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Turkey, India, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Japan and many other Asian countries. 

Apart from the usual channels of marketing, Joseph Cherian, Founder & CEO feels, “Our customers have been our biggest endorsers. We have 75% customer retention and our growth has been a combination of both repeat business and new customers through customer referrals. Our consistency in providing quality food and variety has helped us with customer referrals. 48 East is not driven by a discounting model, we strongly believe in building a business around quality and innovation.”

So far 48East has raised USD 500K in pre Series A from Al Dhaheri Family and USD 250K in Angel Funding from Agra based ACPL Exports and are in the process of raising the next round of funds soon.

With their presence in different areas in Bangalore - Indiranagar, Domlur, Old Airport Raod, Kormangala, Marthahalli, Bellandur, HSR, Sarjapur, Hebbal Kempapura, Yelahanka, Jakkur, Nagvara, Sahakar Nagar etc, the company plans to have a 48 East in every neighbourhood in Bangalore. “Whenever a customer wishes to have Gourmet Asian food in the comfort of one’s home/ office, 48East should be their immediate choice. Post that we will look at foraying into other cities,” adds Cherian.

But the most important aspect that Cherian feels is that technology plays a fundamental role in the success of an online food venture. “In addition to the quality of food, technology is essential to ensure that customer has a seamless experience while ordering food. A good technology backbone helps the brand in managing the back end of order tracking, managing inventory, CRM, supply chain and building efficiency across all aspects of business.”

With the consumer trend going towards health conscious diets and ensuring quality, Cherian confirms that, “All our food is prepared in such a way that it is light on the stomach. We do not use MSG or any added additives in our products to ensure that our products are safe to our customer. Consistency and authenticity is a key aspect that we focus on in every single dish. We have built a strong supply chain which helps us in achieving Farm to Fork Concept. This is helping us to provide high quality ingredients in preparing our exotic food. Some of the microgreens we use in our dishes are home grown. To help ensure authenticity of our dishes , we also import key ingredients. At 48East, we take utmost care to ensure that the food we deliver is truly Asian. Hence, even the smallest of the ingredient has to be truly Asian.”

48East represents the 48 different countries of Asia. It includes South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, East Asia and the Middle East. We cater to a wide variety of palates. Whether it’s a quiet dinner for two or an impromptu party, 48East gives an array of delectable choices that’s hard to resist. From the quintessential Burmese Khowsuey to offbeat Turkish Donner Kebop to Broccoli Mushroom Moon Fan Rice, they offer an exhaustive variety of dishes from 48 different countries of Asia. The menu includes sides, mains, appetizers, and an all-day menu with light eats. The large menu bank of highly curated dishes helps in providing variety every week. The large menu spread of 26 dishes in the weekly changing menu.