Aditya Wanwari, a 28-year-old entrepreneur and restaurateur in Mumbai, is the founder of Toast Inc, under which he owns several big restaurants in the city. Aditya was initially a DJ by profession. However, a few years ago, the F&B and hospitality industry caught his interest and he decided to pursue his career in the same. Since the day Aditya decided to become independent and build something of his own, he hasn’t looked back.
Aditya thrived in his DJ career and performed with various known artists and at popular music festivals. He would also perform at some big hotel bars, clubs, and DJ nights for various events. So, it was a huge risk and a big decision for him when he switched his career.
Aditya Wanwari was asked if he ever had any second thoughts while switching from his successful career to the path of entrepreneurship. He answered, “Yes, as a DJ my career was flourishing. I was touring the country and playing alongside the best global artists. Making a shift at the peak of my career was a very tough decision. I did have second thoughts.”
He added, “One would ask why would someone make a decision like that. The genuine answer is that it was a deep calling I had from within. I knew I would have to start from ground zero again, it’s like going back to school. I took a leap of faith and fell flat on my face for a good 5-6 years and eventually it paid back.”
As an entrepreneur and someone so new in the F&B industry, things didn’t go smoothly for Aditya. He faced a lot of challenges in the beginning. However, he kept going on and giving his best. When asked about his challenges and how he overcame them, Aditya revealed, “For an entrepreneur, he is the owner, the staff, the accountant, the marketing guy, the spokesperson, and more. For a startup to really flourish and get some recognition, the entrepreneur has to have a know-how of all of the above and yet try to find an edge in this generic world of businesses, especially restaurants.”
“Talking about my field, it is highly CAPEX intensive. Opening a small 500 sqft cafe can also cost you 30-40 lakhs Pre-opening, and then you need working capital, staff salaries, electricity, etc.,” he stated further.