From a Mohakhali roadside cart to 14 outlets and 5,000 burgers a day
Three young men's roadside burger cart closed after 2016 over its location, but a proper outlet in 2017 grew to 14 outlets in six years; they credit steady quality and value pricing.
In February 2016, three young men — two school friends and a classmate from IBA — set up a burger cart by the roadside opposite a university in Mohakhali, Dhaka. It started with a good burger maker whom one of them knew. At first friends were given burgers free; later those same friends bought them on their way home from the office and placed orders for family or office events. Through word of mouth alone, the cart's name spread beyond Mohakhali to other parts of Dhaka.
Although demand was at its peak, the cart had to close in December that year for reasons to do with the location. In 2017 they opened their first full outlet, also in Mohakhali, and the old customers came back. Their own honey mustard sauce is said to be a big reason for their popularity; later they also let customers choose the amount of sauce if they wished.
According to a 2022 report in The Financial Express, there were then 11 outlets in Dhaka, 2 in Chattogram and 1 in Mymensingh, selling more than 5,000 burgers a day on average. According to the partners, after becoming popular many restaurants lower quality to save costs — instead of doing that, they stressed giving good value for the price, and paid attention to training front-line staff. From the start, all three did everything themselves, from making burgers to accounts and management.
Lessons
- 1.Test demand cheaply with a small cart; move to a full shop once demand is proven.
- 2.Cutting quality to save costs after you become popular loses customers — balance price and quality.
- 3.A roadside spot is insecure; plan what you'll do if you lose it.
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
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