Decoding the success story of Gopal Sweets
Success is not the final destination. Failure isn’t a stalement. And the road to success and failure is practically the same. Unlike what we believe, failure is actually the courage that keeps us doing what counts. It is a temporary setback that pushes us forward towards a more significant course. While many take setbacks as a pretext to give up on their dreams, others use them as a spur to work even harder, leading to success stories that we appreciate today.
When you see a businessman become rich, you might wonder about his net worth, the number of cars he owns, the amount of property he has and the income he makes every day. Truth be told, behind that generous smile on face and deep scars on hands, there are endless nights of hard work, days of hunger, experiences of life’s cruelties, and zillion failed attempts. Such is true in the case of Gopal Sweets.
Join us as we take you on an informative ride about how a small sweet shop became the norm in middle-class restaurant chains of North India.
How it all started
Every giant business starts with a small idea. The inception could be in a study room, during a walk in the street, or simply through a night’s sleep. This happened with the HariGopal Singh too. The idea struck when he started his tiny sweet shop or as we say in common language ‘halwaikidukan’in a small corner ofPhuwaraChowk, in Patiala city of Punjabin 1958.
Things looked pretty fine for many years including a well-generated monthly earning. But Hari wanted to achieve something big now. He began dreaming about conquering the entire city through his different dish preparation methods. He could have easily rested on the satisfactory hammock of that small business he was doing. But, as ambitious he was, he wanted to grow big. Hari had known about the tastes and demands of the patrons in and around the city. He had also decoded the things that attracted the customers towards his food. It was time to grow big. It was now or never.
First official outlet
It was in the year 1999; the idea could see the light of the day from Mr. HariGopal. He used all his savings and earnings to open a new and fully-furnished restaurant in the LeelaBhavan of Patiala. This was also an idea to check if the guests would recognize the brand in the same city or not. And things did click right away. The Patialvis could recognize the bigger outlet of the small corner shop.
They would simply turn in and be happy with the better offerings amidst a large space. The food was equally good and even got better. For as long as 6 years, HariGopal analyzed the market and the business. It was during this time that he learned things relevant for running the business. He planned for equities, for shareholders, for making the market of his brand and so on. Ideas pumped in related to naming the brand and how marketing would be done ahead.
But something was lacking. Mr. Gopal wanted to share his cuisine with people from different cultures. Being densely populated with Punjabis, Patiala was just not the right place to give judgment to his ambitions. But Hari didn’t want to go too far either, given that the supply and the base were strong in north India. The name Chandigarh was on the papers and that’s where everything changed.
Start of the revolution
In the year 2005, a new restaurant named Gopal was inaugurated in the sector 8 main market, Chandigarh. With red color as the trademark statement, the outlet had something unique about it. The food wasn’t served, but self-service was provided. Besides those heavy Punjabi Thalis, light and small meals were offered. Cleanliness was kept a priority. The orders were prepared quicker than expected. The sweets variety was something the city never had seen anywhere else. And the prices were genuine. Well- this was a sure-shot procedure for a successful chain setup. The outlet would turn out to be a flourishing business soon.
It became so popular that another chain was set up. This time it was in the downtown alley of sector 35 Chandigarh. The location was apt as high-class and middle-class people loved shopping from the market. The entire commercial line was home to various brand outlets and people would love to grab on a snack during their shopping spree. As it turned out, the Sector 35 outlet proved to be a bigger success. It catered to the growing demands and varied food requirements of the residents of Chandigarh. Being a hub of northern India, people from various cultures and states including Haryana, Delhi, Himachal and even Rajasthan would love feasting the easy-going restaurant of Gopal’s.
More outlets
Soon after the success of Chandigarh branches, Gopal business holders decided to grow bigger. Their dream of conquering the food industry in northern India was coming true. A well-laid-out branch was opened in Sector 8 of Panchkula. Slowly, they were dealing with 7 outlets in Tricity of Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali. They also have outlets in Zirakpur, Himachal Pradesh, Noida and Ludhiana. Most of the outlets are running full-time with no holiday in the week. They serve the guests from 10 mornings to 11 at night.
Recent stats of the company
Today, when you think about going to a quality restaurant, Gopal brand strikes as our prime muscle memory identification point. The entire franchise has total 9 directors now and there is no key management personnel appointed. The company got the ‘limited’ status in 1997 when its authorized share was around Rs. 90 lac. Today, the operating revenue of the company ranges from 200 to 500 crores annually. In the last two years, the net worth of the company has increased by more than 11 percent, showing its relentless growth. Also, the total assets elevated up to 48 percent. Talking of liabilities, the increase in percent ratio is around 139 %.
The main key business compartments of the Gopal Sweets today include:
- Food preparation and serving
- Sweets selling
- Manufacturing of food products
- Packing of food
- Food displaying services
- Event catering services
- Dining services
- Home delivery services
- Food decoration services
The future
As you can already estimate, the revenue is growing and so is the quality. But there are always challenges in the business. For instance, Gopal’s is facing sheer rivalry from other branded international franchises such as McDonald’s and Dominos. But, being the leader in its own market, Gopal’s is committed to being ahead of the competition. Its basic driving forces remain the ease of ordering and the pricing which makes the business model set apart. Also, the quality of the food and the fresh and high-quality ingredients make the food memorable, which is not seen in international eateries.
Another challenge remains branding and online marketing. Being a physical shop, Gopal has not been able to totally take its operations online. Yes, it does offer it, but functionality and authenticity remain a big concern.
The network spread through all of India is the next goal of the company. With the cobweb of Gopal branches reaching the upper region of Himachal Pradesh, the progress is still on. But the company can face fierce rivalries in areas like Delhi or Gurgaon. Impeccable panning will be required to overcome these challenges. As of now, things look settled in North India but the sky is always the limit.
Touchstone services by Gopals
The name Gopal is synonymous with perfect taste and immaculate packing. Standing true to their norms of serving ethnic sweets and foods most creatively, their benchmark offerings include artistic packing, vibrant sweets offering, quality Indian food and fresh bakery products. Acting as a restaurant, bakery and sweets, the franchise chain is also dealing in catering services. Gopal’s offer the arrangement of their own food stall for various events such as marriages or anniversaries.
Recently, Gopal has shown great potential in offering innovative packing designs. From Potli’s to handbags to children’s gifts to globular festive presents, they present some of the most beautiful and unique packing designs. All of the outlets offer a plethora of sweets with artistic packing that people love buying for gifting purposes.
Lastly, the food in Gopals is made from the freshest ingredients. The essence of Desi Ghee and fresh vegetables are common in eateries. The secret recipes of Mr. Hari continue its legacy in every branch of the restaurant chain. People start by enjoying the delicacies with mouth-watering experiences and end with the tantalizing notes of the best desserts in the town.
Some of the most unusual yet popular offerings include:
• Sugar-free sweets
• Kaju Sweets
• Snacks and Chaats
• Mini Meals
• Saag and Makki ki roti
• Cream Concasse Sauce Pasta
• Sundaes
• Assortment of lassi’s
• Custom made pre-order cakes
• Packed dry fruits
• Kullarh Tea
Conclusion
The success story of HariGopal may be just like another one you have read. But the fact that it includes ambition, persistence, results, and courage, makes it interesting. With the hope that someone would really give wings to his dreams after realizing this success story, we would like to conclude this piece of writing. Always remember that success is never an accident-it is all about learning, sacrificing and loving what you aspire for.
Author: abhishek tuteja
Content writer with sky in eyes and nature in heart, living life learning each lesson per day.
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1 comment
Such an inspiring story n well written article told in a very interesting way🥰🥰👍👍