Remember those birthday parties or evenings at a relative’s house where you would be served a slice of cake or pastry with a patty or ‘chicken internet’ on the side? Tied to this memory and emotion is a confectioner serving pastries, cupcakes, and savory snacks to Indians for decades. Monginis, a brand that has been a part of everyday snacks to celebrations has its roots in Bombay, where two Italian brothers started this iconic brand in 1902 that is now spread all over India and parts of Egypt.
Tracing the roots back to where it started
Messrs. Mongini founded Mongini Ltd. in 1902 and opened a restaurant and candy shop on Churchgate Street in Bombay. The Mongini Brothers reopened their new, larger facility in 1919 after Churchgate Street was widened. According to an article by Times Of India dated 1919, the building held immense cultural and business value, “Messrs Mongini’s building will prove a valuable addition to the palatial business establishments of the city… The ground floor will be used as Refreshment room and confectionery. The dining room will be located on the first floor. Whilst the 2nd floor may be reserved and arrangements made for wedding receptions, dinner parties, presentation ceremonies and so on.” Monginis soon became popular, apart form the birthday cakes and cookies, the shop served as a venue for meetings, book clubs, dinners with classical music, and other social gatherings for Bombay’s European and later Indian elite. Monginis gained considerable notoriety in the 1930s for its Laszlo Szabo-conducted Hungarian orchestra, which featured Hungarian musicians. On Tuesdays, concerts took place, and on Fridays and Saturdays, supper dances.
Mongini’s connection to Mussolini
One of the founding brothers, LU Mongini was reportedly a supporter and follower of fascist leader Mussolini and believed that his rule had saved Italy for the downfall in the hands of communists. According to reports by Sroll.in, Mongini served as the director of the Fascism Centre in Bombay, which was established in 1925, as well as a member of the Bombay Presidency Trades Association and the Italian Touring Club in Bombay, which appears to have promoted travel to Italy.
There were articles by The Times Of India addressed from the same address as the Monginis Church Gate outlet by LU Mongini where he openly praised Mussolini’s barbaric rule, praising “the immense services rendered by Mussolini to Italy” and explaining how, in his opinion, “fascism [had] saved Italy” from the catastrophe that was Communism.
Monginis take over by Khorakiwala family
The Khorakiwala family acquired Monginis Catering in 1958, changing its name to Monginis Foods Private Limited. The corporation embraced the franchise business model in 1971, putting a clear emphasis on locally produced goods to suit regional tastes. The menu and outlets were expanded during the following ten years. The brand is known for its cakes, cookies, specialty bread, chocolates, snack foods, savouries, party buntings, and take-home presents. In 1997, the Khorakiwalas are credited with turning the company into Mumbai’s first bakery to create eggless cakes and vegetarian treats.
In 1986, the brand portfolio was expanded as it entered the Packaged Cakes Category with the launch of its Vanilla Slice Cake product. The growth of the brand skyrocketed under the influence of the Khorakiwalas as it crossed national boundaries to expand business in Egypt.
Over the years, the Khorakiwalas have expanded the beloved brand opening various franchise stories and factories across India and in 2011 they launched their first e-commerce website.
The 100-year-old brand has over 900 cake shops in places such as Mumbai, Kohlapur, Aurangabad, Pune, Goa, Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Raipur and Patna. It was a popular shop in Kolkata that was discontinued due to internal feud but was brought back in 2019. The company said it had over 2,000 distributors and more than 2.4 lakh retailers across the country as per The Telegraph, 2019 report.