A Pakistani success story: Entrepreneur's journey from small food stall to restaurant will inspire you

 

It's not every day you come across an entrepreneur who has combined his many passions to excel in life.

Ahsan Arshad, 'The Guy Who Cooks', is a Pakistani success story about someone who worked from scratch to excel at what he loves most.

Combining his love of travel and adventure with his culinary skills, Arshad managed to turn his small food stand in Islamabad into a brick and mortar cafe that will soon open its doors.

His story went viral on social media when he posted before and after photos of his business on Twitter as part of a popular trend.

The "how it started, how it goes" trend invites people to share before and after photos. Most of the entries are funny memes; But sometimes people also share positive and inspiring stories about personal success.

"I started to pursue my passion for cooking over the last two years," the 26-year-old computer science graduate from COMSATS told Geo.tv.

He worked in IT for a year before leaving it for a much more exciting career in food.

"I felt like there was no passion in my work," Arshad said. "When a person doesn't have their heart in something, they don't have the drive to do it. My passion lies in food and adventure cooking."

However, he did not have the money to start a large company.

"To set up a cafe in Islamabad, you need at least 10 to 15 lakhs (1.5 million rupees)," he explained.

"However, I decided that if I was throwing myself into the fire, I should start small. I felt like I needed to learn all the tricks of the trade early on as I had no prior knowledge of the food business.

"Also, people who start from the basics tend to care and love their business even more," he explained.

''Breaking taboos'

Leaving your career to set up a small food stall is not easy, especially in the society in which we live.

Arshad faced similar challenges and decided he needed to break the mold.

"One of the challenges I faced in setting up my own position was that the career I wanted to pursue was undervalued. I really wanted to get into it and break this taboo," he explained.

Another of his wishes was to inspire others to pursue their passions and interests in food, especially since, in his opinion, the culinary arts are practically undiscovered in Pakistan.

Another challenge he faced early on was a demotivating fear that kept him from succeeding in his position.

"When you start in a business like this, with no prior experience, you burn out at the end of the day and have little success to prove. You wonder many times if you did the right thing in taking the leap," he said.

"However, I insisted that this is my passion and this is what I wanted to do. Therefore, it is very important that you keep going despite the obstacles and stay motivated," Arshad advised.

Its one-man operation also suffered the brunt of the coronavirus shutdown, when businesses were closed and restaurants were ordered to stay closed until the pandemic slowed.

"I built it with my own hands"

While explaining how he organized finances and kept expenses to a minimum, Arshad said he had savings that he used to set up the cafe and also borrowed money from his friends and his father.

“I built it with my own hands. More than 50% of the work is mine. We made wooden posts, plastered walls, cut wooden beams for the ceiling ”.

The young entrepreneur shared that he had bought some of the kitchen equipment before, such as a deep fryer, hot plate, grill, etc.

My investment in coffee would be no more than seven or eight lacs rupees, he said.

What does the future hold for you?

Speaking about his future, Arshad said he wanted to take his local brand and go international in the next 10 years or so.

"I want people to know that someone from Pakistan has established his name in the international market," he said. "I want to bring my name, my brand name and my identity to the international scene so that people know that a product [of the excellent standard] can also originate in Pakistan," he said.

When asked about the ingredients of his success, the restaurateur said that "honest intentions" and hard work were the key factors driving his success.

"There is no substitute for hard work," he said. Also, you should always harbor honest intentions. People often forget why, when they started a business, they got into it in the first place - what were their goals and intentions? It is important that you never lose sight of that. "

Saying there will never be an "endpoint in his path" if he continues, Arshad urged entrepreneurs never to fall victim to negative thinking.

"If you think positive, you will always achieve something that is positive."

'Modernize'

For all budding entrepreneurs and restaurateurs, Arshad has a simple tip: modernize.

"For all restaurateurs who want a career in the culinary field, be sure to keep up," he said.

"Social media is important today and is immensely helpful in getting the word out about your business or restaurant. Make sure you don't lose it," he said.

Second, he told would-be entrepreneurs or those who want to try their luck at a startup not to lose hope.

"You shouldn't be discouraged in whatever you try," he said.

Arshad said that it was better to be a businessman than a salaried person.

"When you start a business, you offer others the opportunity to do something for themselves," he said.

"Businesses become the source of employment for many others and that is why God helps them with his blessings."

Arshad also intends to help other companies facing the struggles he faced when starting out as a budding entrepreneur.

"I will invite a friend of mine, who is a baker, to sell his products in my cafe," he said. "I will also ask another friend who is in the photography business to hang their photos in my cafe. This is how I intend to help other people starting out," Ahsan added.

"Work hard and help others. Lift yourself up and lift others who are also struggling."