30th April, Hyderabad, India : Hyderabad based start-up, “The Culinary Lounge” is pioneering a new wave called ‘HandiTalks’, giving foodprenuers, F & B start-ups, foodies and wannabe chefs an open live platform to develop culinary ideas, interact and to get inspired on what is needed in getting into culinary business or learning to know how to run food & beverages business and create a place in the industry.

Left to right Neehar Bisabathini & Gopi Krishna
From Left to right: Neehar Bisabathini & Gopi Krishna

The concept has already generated much interest among foodprenuers and wannabe chefs who have signed up for HandiTalks that happens during the last Saturday of every month.

Since its launch in June 2018, with 9 editions to boast and more than 300 food enthusiasts have signed up for ‘HandiTalks’ till now. While the HandiTalks has no fee for entry, applicants are strictly screened, vetted and approved by the creators of this novel concept.

The last edition of HandiTalks saw Young foodprenuer Neehar Bisabathini, the founder of CHURROLTO. Neehar shared his entrepreneurial journey of making a savoury and desert place CHURROLTO, how he is crossing all barriers to run it successfully last 4 years, and grown from his small 400 square foot place to establish a vast place in the upmarket Jubilee hills. He shared his challenges in building his venture, managing kitchen, standing at the counter, and his interactions with variety of customers. The interaction with this budding entrepreneur was the longest of all the previous editions of HandiTalks.

HandiTalks is the brainchild of Gopi Krishna Byluppala, a 36-year-old, serial budding entrepreneur, an Electronics Engineer from Madras University, a firm believer of #NeverEatAlone philosophy, along with his Key Partner Sushma Thotta.

“We wanted to celebrate cooking, learning, enjoying food and get culinary enthusiasts in touch with each other to know how enjoyable or tough to get into F & B business. HandiTalks, is a congregation of intellectuals to network and to talk on food & beverages business and to help build the ecosystem in a fun filled, evocative manner.” says the founder Gopi Krishna Byluppala.

HandiTalks is a growing HUB for “pros”, “learners”, and “proletarians”, offering opportunity to learn all about food and food business on the go, and to pick up some tricks of the trade, or enrich their culinary knowledge.” Key Partner, Sushma adds.

“The Culinary Lounge” ideas have been growing steadily and attracted a lot of participation for their different properties other than “HandiTalks”, they also have 3 interesting properties namely “Impossible chefs”, “Supper Club” and “Dad’s Cooking Club.

“The Culinary Lounge” is a Bootstrapped, angel funded start-up, aims to tap its next round of funding soon. While the revenue in 2018-2019 grew 4X times the previous financial year, The Culinary Lounge grew from a 3-member team to a 15-member team, and continue to grow aggressively. The plan for this year is to grow a team size of 50. And also scaling up to other cities this year. Till now 50+ events for Corporate, 1800+ for kids, 150+ private events and experiential dinners have been hosted at The Culinary Lounge.