How Entrepreneur Jayanthi Kathale Chased Her Food Dream

Meet Jayanti Kathale, the founder of Purnabrahma, an unique Maharashtrian cuisine restaurant and one that she plans to make a global brand.

Jayanti Kathale left her cushy job at Infosys, where she worked for over 13 years to follow her passion – to set up a Maharashtrian restaurant in Bangalore. Purnabrahma focuses primarily on healthy and authentic Maharashtrian food, stellar customer service and it also provides a warm cultural ambience.

Jayanti strongly believes in women’s empowerment and women entrepreneurship. She has therefore used her restaurant as a platform to provide working opportunities to other women and makes sure to hire women as a big part of the team.

Jayanthi Kathale will be speaking at the upcoming Women’s Web event for women entrepreneurs on August 22nd. excited to share her own experiences and she plans to offer valuable tips to women entrepreneurs on achieving their business goals at the Breaking Barriers To Growth: The Money Edition; get your pass now!

Prior to the event, we caught up with her on how she followed her passion. Read on to know more about her interesting journey.

What motivated you to leave the IT Sector and conceive Purnabrahma?

It was a concept that arose out of a strong desire to bring Maharashtrian cuisine to the fore in Bengaluru. I felt that Maharastrian cuisine was not that popular and I wanted the public here to get a taste of it.

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My grandmother in a way was also the driving force behind Purnabrahma. As a young girl I admired her for working as a Principal in a government school in an era where most women never worked outside the home. She had great planning skills and managed work and a large family at home. She always said, “Whatever you want in life, you can achieve it.” Since then, these words always echoed in my ears.

What is the most exciting aspect of being an entrepreneur? 

It gives me a big high when a customer enters Purnabrahma and leaves it completely satisfied. I am overjoyed when customers comment that they don’t feel heavy or sleepy after having a meal here. Healthy food has always been our prime focus. There are many who leave the restaurant satisfied and return with more customers. That’s the most exciting aspect of my role.

What major challenges did you face while starting your own venture?

I was working for the IT sector when I started this venture. I would wake up in the wee hours of the morning, prepare food for my large family, train the cooks of our restaurant, and then head to work.

After work I would return home to take care of my children and their needs and then again head to the restaurant. Balancing home and work was the most challenging aspect while I began my venture. However as the days passed I created my own support system and my husband supported me all the way.

What advice would you like to give women who want to start their own ventures?

I would like to advise all women who want to start their own ventures to dream big. Next, identify what they really want to achieve. It’s always good to make a list of all the hurdles that could be a stumbling block to reach their goals and then work towards eliminating them. Believe that you are going to make them real and that it would certainly happen. That’s how things worked for me.

Do you have a woman who has inspired you?

Sudha Murthy has been my Hero and inspiration. A woman who has achieved so much, yet she’s such a warm and a down to earth person. Her humble attitude towards any kind of work has inspired me. My mother too had been my coach and mentor when I participated in athletics and other events. My grandmother offered me valuable tips to deal with life and all the setbacks that come along with it.

What are your future business plans?

We plan to make Purnabrahma a global brand and to set up franchise models. We are gaining investors abroad, in countries like Singapore and the United states of America. I’ve also come up with the concept of ‘drive through centers’. This Independence day we are opening drive through centers where women and people from all walks of life can drive in, place their order and collect their food parcels.

The payment can be made online. This is especially beneficial for working mothers, who don’t find enough time to prepare nutritious meals for their children. This drive through center would not only save time but also cater to the health needs of those who are living a fast paced life due to their hectic work schedules.

What are you anticipating speaking at the event and in what ways do you feel such networks can help women?

I am hoping to meet numerous women from various backgrounds, learn about their personal journeys and in turn share my own personal experiences. I also intend to interact and help women in the session to identify their goals and discuss ways to achieve them.

Through such networks we can learn more about the personal challenges that women undergo and in turn find a way to resolve our own setbacks. Through these workshops thousands of women can be moulded in the right path. Since women also form a major part of the population of the globe, imagine what a great impact these inspiring women can make to the world. These workshops can transform women and in turn transform the world.

We are delighted that our community will be hearing from you at the upcoming #BreakingBarriers event for women entrepreneurs!

If you are a woman in business, or have plans to start up, join us at #BreakingBarriers, and get both inspiration and ammunition to grow!

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