Luring out the cravings for sensational and exclusive dishes with a touch of distinctive flavors across the world, the Indian snacks industry holds a special place in every food lover's heart. With the unique blend of different traditional cuisines along with the proper contemplation on hygiene and calorie consumption, the Indian food sector never fails to attract the youth of the current generation. To give a new dimension to the culinary sector of the country, QSR is a rapidly growing industry and is bound to increase at an exponential rate further. Always fascinated by the aromatic enchantment of the food and service sector, Saurabh Raj decided to establish Kathi Nation in 2017, succumbing to his heart's calling. From a small eatery to a known brand in the capital city of India, Kathi Nation is curated by the culinary experience gathered during the early phase of Saurabh's career in the hospitality industry; coupled with the strong customer service excellence experience gathered in the later phase of his professional journey. Kathi Nation is a product crafted from key ingredients of passion, deep knowledge along with a strong belief in providing healthy snacks alternatives to the customers while maintaining high-quality standards across the product and service lifecycle.

Talking about his experience in the QSR domain as an entrepreneur, Saurabh Raj, Founder, Kathi Nation states, "While the entry barriers are not high, the real challenge lies in sustaining one's self. The core of this business is product, quality and consistency

and maintaining this across the journey is the biggest hurdle one might face. Many tend to fall in the trap of increasing margins of the company by compromising on ingredients and the quality of foods and services. The real test lies in systematically adapting to the changing microenvironment and the varied needs of the customers. With the increasing influence of technology, it's imperative for this industry to keep pace with technological advancement and quickly embrace them too. Segmentation and customer analytics play a crucial role in retaining the customers, and the QSR chain needs to understand and integrate this across its services."

Kathi Nation is a product crafted from key ingredients of passion, deep knowledge along with a strong belief in providing healthy alternatives to the customers

According to Saurabh, who has a rich experience of working with the Taj group of hotels and understand the hospitality industry well, the key requirements for operating a successful franchise are good viable location, excellent service at the store, local marketing and above all the passion for food and customer service. He further adds, "The biggest challenge in any food business is wastage, and our operations and processing of food ensures zero wastage and consistency of taste across all our outlets. Our key to success is our product which has been crafted by our MasterChef, Sanjeev Kumar, which is truly authentic to its core yet can be customized to blend the local needs too. We maintain a flexible menu through constant Innovation and the introduction of exciting new dishes, and we replace slow-moving items with newer options. For packaging, we use eco-friendly materials, ergonomically designed and aesthetical."

As the field remains crowded with competitors possessing both experience and expertise in culinary arts and services, Kathi Nation stands tall with an integrated approach to processes refined with extensive research to cater to the individual needs of the franchisee and end customers. From on-boarding to engaging the franchisee with the updated and changing dynamics of the industry, intensive training and support is provided to the staff of Kathi Nation, which helps them in marketing and growth. Focused on territory wise development to fortify Brand image in the territory and simultaneously leveraging on Self marketing, Kathi Nation closely monitors customer feedback to ensure a good service recovery. Supporting and handholding the franchisees from land evaluation to marketing to ensure a successful business, Kathi Nation ensures extensive homework and research at grass root level before the opening of an outlet. Intending to provide Business opportunities in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well, the restaurant franchise aspires to run 100 outlets successfully by the end of 2020.