Undying Spirit of Young Entrepreneur, Ketan Kalra, gave birth to India’s First and Leading Donut and American Eatery Brand, SUPER DONUTS.
Super Donuts is one of India's First Organized Donut and American Eatery brands, launched by Mr. Ketan Kalra in September 2012.
In a recent interview, he disclosed that he was in the UK when a donut selling shop with a long queue of customers caught his eye and he was awestruck by the fascination of people for something so simple as a donut. He decided at that very moment to instill the same love for donuts in India. He explained that the decision to start all over with a completely new brand named 'Super Donuts' was driven by a rejection from a Famous and Global Donut brand when he applied for a master franchisee of the brand in Punjab, India. “They were unsure about handing over the brand to someone too young considering my age,” he said. He was in his early 20s at the time when he decided to start his own Donut Brand with the same thought that he had while he was in the UK; to develop a love for something so simple as a Donut with a simple yet catchy name — 'Super Donuts'.
The Leadership with Determination
When asked about how did he manage to run the business successfully even during Corona times, he said, “Covid-19 indeed was a major shock to our expansion plans but we kept our spirits and enthusiasm high and supported each and every one in our team, the best we could. With this spirit alone, we opened 5 more stores during the Covid-19 pandemic itself. After the winning spree of these 5 outlets, we now aim to open at least 20 to 25 stores every year."
"COVID-19 has had an impact on the sales of the business, but our team is determined to grow and expand, with or without the pandemic,” he added.
Spirit of Team Work & Unity Is the Core
When asked about how he managed to boost the morale of the employees during the pandemic, he said, "Even in the pandemic, Super Donuts' employees received their full salaries every month along with incentives, regardless of the sales. I made sure that all payments were done on time during the pandemic because I realized that everyone needs it, particularly at times of crisis."
He also informed about the Covid-19 measures and hygiene standards that are being maintained during this time. For the safety of the employees and the customers, the company decided to install UV sanitization machines in the factories and outlets.
Maintaining High Brand Standards, Always
"Not just the food cravings but the safety and hygiene standards are also being taken care of at Super Donuts. This trait of being a customer-centric brand is what makes Super Donuts stand out from the others. Every day embarks the beginning of a new journey at Super Donuts, from inventing new flavors to thoughts of expanding to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The motive has always been to grow love and liking for donuts and to take the name of Super Donuts to new heights."
"The best part that makes Super Donuts an authentic Donut and American Eatery is that all the raw material for Donuts is being sourced from Europe from day 1 till today,” he added.
Super Donuts is a brand with inspiration — from a small donut shop in the U.K to India's first American Eatery which aims to establish a completely unique global identity.
Future Endeavours & Ever-Expanding Roadmap
Discussing the road ahead he said, "We are determined to open 100 outlets in the next 2- 3 years and satisfy people's cravings with quality food and flavors, and that too with not just donuts but also with other lip-smacking American food.”
Along with expanding in Tier-1 cities of India, Super Donuts is also looking forward to expanding and engaging with Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities where people do not have much exposure to quality eateries. Super Donuts is currently functioning on a mixed model of company-owned and franchisee-owned stores, across the country. "We have already opened 5 outlets in covid times in Jammu, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Zirakpur, Patiala & Ludhiana, and we are in the process to open in Gandhinagar, Vijayawada, Yamuna Nagar & Sangrur," Ketan Kalra said.
Synergies Are a Must Between Super Donuts & Venture Capitalists
On asked if he seeks fame through his name or through Super Donuts, he said that his dream is to expand the name of Super Donuts and always will be. He said, "I am very emotionally attached to my brand, and its growth will always be my priority."
"These 9 years of Super Donuts have been extremely satisfying and beautiful and we feel very delighted when we see people coming back to our stores and complimenting the food. During this journey, we’ve also been approached by a few Venture Capitalists for funding. Although we are open to Venture Capitalists, we believe that synergies play an important role, when working together."
The Bigger Aim Behind
Making people smile and seeing them enjoying at our stores is the one and only thing which gives us immense pleasure and boost to keep working and opening more and more stores to serve more and more smiles.
In order to do so, we offer more than 40 flavors of donuts and are always keen on experimenting with new things to keep the customers happy & engaged. We have the range classic donuts such as Netflix & Chill, Banoffee, Billion Dollar Ferrero, Nutella S’mores, and occasional region-based donuts such as Gulab Jamun, Kaju Katli, Motichoor laddoo flavors to engage people with all taste and cravings.
