Have you ever wondered what it would be like to turn your biggest love or passion for something into a full-fledged business? Honestly, many of us did dream of doing it, but only a few could turn this
into a reality. One such inspiring story comes from Mumbai, where a couple, Akhil Iyer and Shriya Narayana, transformed their mutual love for dosa into a booming business venture. Today, their cafe in the city earns them an impressive Rs 1 crore every single month.
But the journey to success did not happen overnight. When newlyweds Akhil and Shreya landed in Mumbai, they found themselves missing something very close to their hearts: an authentic, buttery Davangere-style dosa. These thin, savoury crepes came with a dollop of butter and a golden, crispy top, and used to be a staple back at their homes. However, even after searching every nook and cranny of the city, the couple could not find anything that was even remotely similar to how they were accustomed to having dosa.
The Couple Quit Their High-Paying Jobs
This disappointment led the couple to take the matter into their own hands. Instead of settling for mediocrity, they decided to open their own cafe, which will serve authentic Bengaluru-style dosas. Akhil and Shriya quit their high-paying jobs and started ideating on their new venture. The ideation was the easy part, but building the cafe from scratch, that too in a competitive city like Mumbai, was the real challenge.
With no background in the food and hospitality industry, no fancy MBA degree, no investors and very little capital, the couple began their journey. They spent months experimenting with the batter for dosa, facing failure after failure, until they achieved the right texture. They also experimented and failed multiple times while developing the authentic chutneys that are served with the crispy dosas. They even sourced heavy cast-iron pans all the way from Karnataka to make sure their dosas had the same crispiness and flavour as back home.
Virat Kohli And Anushka Sharma Visited Benne
Finally, after months of trial, error, and endless hard work, they opened their dream cafe, called Benne, a cosy 12-seater place with just one goal: to serve customers with authentic dosas that would make them feel close to home. No big menu, no fusion food, or fancy decor – just fresh dosas with delicious chutneys. The response was overwhelming. Words speak quickly, and soon, people from across the city lined up outside the outlet to get a taste of Benne’s dosas. Today, the cafe serves over 800 dosas a day, priced between Rs 250 and Rs 300. The result? An earning of Rs 1 crore per month.
Not just ordinary people, but Benne has also become a favourite food joint for many celebrities, including Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. The couple visited the cafe back in 2024.
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Following the success of Benne in Bandra, Akhil and Shriya opened a second outlet in Juhu.
