From First Taste At 21, This Odia Man's Burger Startup Is Giving McDonald's, Subway A Run For Their Money.
In a world dominated by fast food, Biraja Rout, a former IT professional, envisioned a revolution in India’s fast-food culture. In 2016, he founded ‘Biggies Burger', a quick-service restaurant chain, aiming to offer India a taste of authentic grilled burgers, symbolizing a global community statement.
What to Know? Biraja’s journey with burgers began when he moved to Bengaluru to work at Infosys, tasting burgers for the first time at 21. Realizing the lack of Indian homegrown burger chains, he saw an opportunity to introduce a global burger Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) from India. Starting with a mere ₹20,000 and no business experience, Biraja delved into the art of burger-making through YouTube and blogs, establishing a small kiosk near his office.
Biggies Burger, now a franchising-led business, emphasizes product quality and entrepreneur training through the ‘Biggies Entrepreneur Programme'. Biraja’s vision has evolved from creating a diversified menu to expanding the food business internationally, focusing on bringing global delicacies to Tier II and III cities.
The company, also venturing into the café segment with ‘BIGG Café', prides itself on crafting burgers that harmonize with the Indian palate while upholding international taste standards. With a revenue goal of ₹100 crore this year, Biggies Burger plans to increase its store count and explore new regions, aiming to establish more stores in cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune.
Biraja Rout reflects on Biggies Burger’s journey with immense pride, emphasizing its commitment to innovation, customer delight, and creating opportunities for aspiring ‘foodpreneurs’, all while maintaining a balance between global QSR familiarity and the uniqueness of flavours inspired by Indian cuisine.