#DunzoChronicles — Bengaluru Oota Company
In a city that runs on fast food and cookie-cutter lifestyles, the Bengaluru Oota Company stands out as strikingly unique. The vibrant yellow facade aptly mirrors the infectious enthusiasm of its founders Divya Prabhakar and Vishal Shetty. Offering authentic fare, with a preset menu on a banana leaf, and the choicest picks from the Gowda and Mangalorean cuisines, BOC promises and delivers to its patrons, a meal to remember. Welcomed with a warm hug and a cool drink, it’s rather easy to settle into the comfort of the rustic furniture, cushioned with pleasant conversations.
About how it all began, Divya recalls “Four years ago, both of us were on a sabbatical from work. I wanted to do something because I travel a lot and I love to eat. I like local food. So I used to try and find places which would serve local food. But they would not sell regional food in small portions. If you look across the country, there is no presentation of local food in a nice format. One day, Vishu asked me to come over for lunch. So I took a bottle of Gin and I walked over and that was it. Between the Gin and the food, I said ‘Oh, we should work together!’, and that’s how BOC happened.”
Today, BOC runs like a well-oiled machine offering sumptuous meals and homey feels.
“Vishu & and I run this place together. We live down the road from work. We’ve been friends and neighbors all our lives. Incidentally, we’re both from the hospitality background. I am a 7th generation Gowda from the same locality in Bangalore. I was born in the house I still stay in, and I hope I’ll die there. Vishal is a Mangalorean, and an expert cook. We are sort of chalk and cheese as personalities, so that works well for us. She looks after the kitchen, and I look after everything else. I decide the menu, I do supplies and organize things.”, says Divya.
Speaking about how BOC is distinctive from a regular restaurant set up, Divya comments, “We laughed about it initially, because both our food philosophies were anti-establishment. She hates wasting food and I hate anything that is frozen or refrigerated. Both of which are part and parcel of any restaurant business. But we had one thing in common. We didn’t want to run a regular restaurant. We wanted our guests to feel like they were eating at someone’s home. We wanted a place where we can balance our work and lives and still be able to do things in our lives which we wanted to. We also don’t market. Word of mouth is how we get our business.
This place is more about what Vishu and I believe in. We are sort of disconnected from the digital world. All the staff lives within 5 minutes of work. A lot of friends have stepped in to set up the place. A friend of mine did the logo and gave me lights. My best friend gave me a table. Our furniture is a mix and match. We upcycled a lot of stuff. I used my saree for curtains.
A part of the reason why we do this format is that when I go to a restaurant I am at a loss, I don’t know what to choose. You know, the whole FOMO scene. My best experiences have always been I’ve been to someone’s house. They tell you how to eat it and they urge you to eat more. We have a large menu, and people go berserk on the first course. I actually have to get them to slow down. They think I’m not letting them eat, but I’m like, you reach coffee at the end, and then tell me!”
Not only does BOC have two boss women at the reins, but it also focuses on empowering its women employees as well. “I deal largely with women. A lot of the women who work with us are single mothers. None of them have worked in professional kitchens, most of them can’t even read. Most of them have learned to cook from their mothers or family. We want them to retain that. This to a large extent is a safe haven for all of them. The kids hang out here during the holiday season. We also take them out for experiences movies and buffets. We go on holiday once a year. They choose the destination.”, says Divya.
Divya and Vishal have made a conscious decision to confine their business to its current space, and not expand to other outlets. However, their delicious delicacies are relished by a wider crowd by way of catering gig and parcels. “Our main idea is that food needs to be fresh. We have a large kitchen and the capacity to serve up a large quantity of food.Our food passes off as home-food. So a lot of people order it when they have guests over. My favorite is the Bannur Mamsa Pulav. It’s my great grandmother’s recipe. We cook it in the kilos now, it’s our more popular dish. We also do a lot of pop-ups. We also encourage a lot of home cooks to showcase regional cuisines from different regions.I’ve been using Dunzo for years. I got so hooked onto it and looking at the low rates, I was anxious that the company would go belly up soon, and I would have no one to do my deliveries! I tell people Dunzo is the boyfriend I never had. My hair stinks of fish if I go to Russel Market to buy the fish. I just get Dunzo to pick it up for me.”, Divya laughs.
Anita, a regular at BOC has nothing but praises for the place. “ I make it a point to bring a lot of my ex-pat friends. It’s a nice local experience. I’m also a travel photographer, and I used to run a cafe in Ladakh, so I understand the effort it takes to entertain patrons. This kind of setup is personal and a real experience of food. Feels so homey. Divya and Vishal lend themselves very nicely. It feels like a family. I don’t think there’s anyone who walks in and doesn’t hug the host, and that speaks volumes about the kind of place they’ve managed to create. These girls are so intelligent that people engage in conversations with them and stay long after the meal is over. You get 8 courses, so a little bit of everything. For someone like me who eats with my eyes more than my stomach, it works very well. I do order like a Biryani on a Sunday. It’s flexible, and there’s something on offer for everyone. When it comes to food, I trust Divya blindly. She knows what she’s doing.”
BOC has undeniably found itself a cozy spot in the community. Divya says, “Sometimes when the staff doesn’t turn up, I stand on the road, and someone or the other turns up or sends someone to help me out. I love what I do, and so does Vishu. I visualize the food. I taste it in my mind. Then I decide what goes on the menu. We do things the way we want to because we believe in it. And we have loads of fun doing it. I mean, isn’t that what life’s all about?”
