Monday, July 25, 2005

The Arrival Of The Modern Wada Pav

Dheeraj Gupta,an MBA has done it.Along with his wife.It is no more a street sold commodity.It is the modern version.In a state-of-the-art central kitchen,potatoes are washed,peeled and mashed with the help of modern technology.The patty is blast frozen and sent to the nine outlets between Borivli and Dadar.The kitchen then fries the wada and packs the product.Woila! Isn't that hot and tasty?.It is the wadapav in its new avatar.Thoroughbread.

Jumbo King consult with Johnson Diversey's to maintain world class hygiene standards.And have even been inspired by Ray Kroc's "Behind the Arches".Based on the McDonald strategy,Gupta is expanding.He started with an initial investment of Rs 2 lakhs.Today his sales is touching Rs 4 crores.He plans to raise it to Rs 20 crores by mid 2006.He also plans to have a 100 strong network in a year's time.Providing street food under hygienic conditions for Rs 6 is competition for McDonald which sells at Rs 20.And for guys like Manohar Mangesh Satam who runs his wada pave centre at Flora Fountain since 1971.And Ashok Haldavnekar who set up a wada pav stall on a handcart at Girgaum in 1968.He was blessed by the Shiva Sena chief. It was called the Shiv Sena wada pav.

And now with their popularity on the wane will Ashok' fortunes also take a tumble? Has the wada pav become so powerful? Time alone will tell whether Gupta survives or the Satams and Haldavnekars.

5 comments:

gs said...

while speaking to rums this afternoon,she had a valid observation."uncle,i read your posting on wadapav.but then why is it that the street corner stuff still tastes better?".i gave her the answer.but then she said "why didn't you post that". alongwith mashed potatoes,the street guys add crushed garlic,greenchillis and kotmil which makes the wadapav so much more tastier.

rums said...

i hope mr gupta reads this post and your little tip as well :)

gs said...

he might and i'll tell you why next week.

lulu said...

i also love ths treet stuff. the vada paav at karjat station is the best!!!!!

gs said...

don't i know how stealthily you would leave hill park and skip the home dosas and idlis for the pavement stuff near around.three cheers to street food!