Latest news with #KallolBanerjee
News18
16-07-2025
- Business
- News18
Hit Rolls To Huge Loss & A Comeback: This 'Success Story' Makes Internet Ask 'Why Do They Exist?'
Last Updated: A section of users claimed that Faasos and its sibling brands were once good but now their quality is deteriorating. They reportedly use visual AI for quality checks. It was Pune in the 2010s. Two founders, Jaydeep Barman and Kallol Banerjee, opened a small quick-serve eatery selling hot kathi rolls. They called it Faasos, short for 'Fanatic Activism Against Substandard Occidental Sh*t." The name was quirky, the food was good, the ambition was huge. The business? Bleeding money. Despite loyal customers, glowing reviews, and packed lunch hours, Faasos was failing. The bills outpaced the biryani, and by all logic, the startup should have quietly shuttered like so many others. And then came a single insight. According to a now-viral Instagram video, the Faasos founders stumbled upon a critical statistic: 80 per cent of their sales were from deliveries, not walk-ins. So why were they wasting money on expensive storefronts? The solution? Ditch the restaurant. Keep the kitchen. In that pivot, Faasos birthed what we now call the cloud kitchen model, a revolutionary approach that powers most food deliveries in urban India today. It was smart, scrappy, and quietly brilliant. Instead of building more restaurants, Faasos built kitchens that could serve multiple virtual brands under one roof. The comeback wasn't instant. Flush with a new strategy, Faasos tried expanding into pizzas but failed again because customers didn't want pizzas from a roll shop. So, they rebranded the same pizza under a new name: Oven Story. With no links to Faasos, Oven Story soared. This became a pattern. They launched Behrouz Biryani, Lunch Box, Firangi Bake, Mandarin Oak, and over a dozen more. All different cuisines, all separate brands. But behind the scenes? Same kitchen. Same parent company. Rebel Foods was born. Today, Faasos is the only one who speaks in Rebel's sprawling wheel of delivery brands. The company claims to operate over 1,100 'internet restaurants" across India and abroad. How? Because a single cloud kitchen can run 6-8 brands simultaneously, from biryani to momos to pasta. Think Unilever but for food. People in the comments section of the video were floored. 'Never knew all of this came under the same chain. Amazing," read a comment. A user wrote, 'I never knew that oven story is their brand." Someone said, 'Even Sweet Truth is one of their brands which serves one of the best desserts." A user wrote, 'Didn't know the Oven Story was Faaso's and I love Behrouz biryani too." Someone asked, 'Do they operate all brands from a single kitchen or separate kitchens." There were, however, several others who felt that the quality of both rolls and pizzas have deteriorated over the years. 'Fassos rolls were amazing back in 2019-20," a comment read. Another Instagram user wrote, 'Don't know how they are still in business. They were good once but now it feels like frozen food flash heated." Faasos and its sibling brands face questions about transparency, food quality consistency and the problems of digital-only dining. One user said, 'Stopped eating/ordering from Faasos when they sent poor quality food which led to health issue. Minor one, but the company's lack of response and ownership in admitting the error led me to shut it out." A user claimed that he has seen Faasos' cloud kitchen. 'I've seen a cloud kitchen in my area that makes food for Faasos, oven story and other associated brands. There's no hygiene, it's dirty and disgusting outside and smells like garbage overall. I shudder to think what's inside. Since then I've stopped ordering from cloud kitchens." Despite mixed public opinion, Rebel Foods runs like a high-tech engine, not a typical restaurant chain. It uses AI to forecast demand, visual AI for quality checks, automated cooking systems, and centralised sourcing to keep operations efficient and food consistent. News18's viral page features trending stories, videos, and memes, covering quirky incidents, social media buzz from india and around the world, Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : viral news view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Economic Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Rebel Foods explores stake sale in premium chocolate brand Smoor
ETtech (L-R) Kallol Banerjee, Jaydeep Barman, founders, Rebel Foods Cloud kitchen operator Rebel Foods, which owns brands such as Faasos and Behrouz Biryani, has held discussions to sell its stake in premium chocolate and dessert maker Smoor, said people briefed on the a related move aimed at restructuring operations, Rebel Foods has closed its offices in Gurugram and Bengaluru. One of the persons said Rebel Foods, which owns around 57% of Smoor, has been looking for a buyer but those talks have yet to fructify. The people cited above said Smoor's business has lagged expectations, particularly in key markets like Mumbai and with Rebel Foods preparing for a potential public listing, there is growing pressure to offload underperforming to ET's queries, a Rebel Foods spokesperson said the company continues to back Smoor and has been investing in its long-term growth. 'Over the past six months, we have made significant long-term investments in Smoor, including the commissioning of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,' the spokesperson closing its offices, the spokesperson said, 'Our decision to consolidate teams in Mumbai is a strategic step towards deeper collaboration and faster decision-making as we enter the next phase of growth'.Rebel Foods had acquired a majority stake in Smoor in April 2022, valuing the brand at over $50 million. The acquisition was part of a broader strategy to evolve into a full-fledged brand aggregator in the food and beverages (F&B) space and invest up to $150 million to acquire and invest in brands , but the company did not comment on how much of that amount has been deployed. At the time, Rebel said Smoor aims to grow threefold in FY23, and touch $100 million in annual revenue by 2026. In FY24, Smoor reported a 16% increase in revenue at Rs 149 crore, showed financials sourced from Tracxn. The brand however continued to face increased losses. It reported a net loss of Rs 19 crore in FY24, widening from Rs 17 crore in fiscal 2023 and Rs 10 crore in FY22. Overall, Rebel Foods, which closed a $210 million funding round led by Singapore's sovereign fund Temasek at a flat valuation in December, improved its financial health in FY24 though it continued to incur losses. According to Registrar of Companies (RoC) filings, the Mumbai-based company's net loss contracted 42% to Rs 378 crore in FY24 while revenue increased 19% to Rs 1,420 latest moves indicate Rebel's attempt to streamline operations and sharpen its focus ahead of a possible market debut, even as questions linger about the performance of some of its premium bets, one of the persons Foods' rival Binny Bansal-backed Curefoods last month filed draft papers for its proposed Rs 800 crore initial public offering (IPO). Curefoods, the operator of brands such as EatFit, Sharief Bhai Biryani, Nomad Pizza and Krispy Kreme, is the second largest internet-first cloud kitchen company after Rebel a LinkedIn post on Sunday, Rebel Foods founder and CEO Jaydeep Barman wrote that the company is planning to acquire, invest in or partner with restaurant brands that have achieved a 'minimum scale'. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Did Jane Street manipulate Indian market or exploit its shallowness? Just before the Air India crash, did India avert another deadly mishap? How Balrampur Chini, EID Parry are stirring up gains amid melting sugar stocks Second only to L&T, but controversies may weaken this infra powerhouse's growth story Stock Radar: Poly Medicure stock looks attractive for short-term gains; still down 30% from highs Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 29% in 1 year Capital market stocks: Some corrections are opportunities, 5 stocks with potential downside to upside from -20% to +24% Skepticism & multibaggers: 15 stocks where element of skepticism is high, need is basic & now policy direction is right
