Shreshth KhannaCEO of BON GATEAU Published On: Friday, January 22, 2016 Views 6826

"Opportunities don't happen, You create them."

Shreshth Khanna always had the knack for cooking & dream to start something of his own. After completing his diploma in Patesserie from International Institute of Culinary Arts (IICA), New Delhi, he finally made his dream come true by opening Bon Gateau Bakery in Amritsar with the help of his father.

Today, Shreshth Khanna has expanded his venture into a café and desert catering, and claims to have reached almost 90% of the local market. For his accomplishment, he has also been awarded as a Star Chef & Entrepreneur with Outstanding Alumni Award by IICA, New Delhi. In 2016, Shreshth is looking forward to open his bakery’s franchise in Chandigarh and other major cities in Punjab.

Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.

BON GATEAU (THE EUROPEAN BAKERY) the word itself means good cakes. AMRITSAR did not have any good bakeries. So i had that first mover advantage of it. Our products are totally different from other bakeries,since its a french bakery. We are overpriced because of the quality of our products.We are wholesalers to 90 percent of the restro of their bakery needs.

What inspired you to build the above product/ service?

My dad was the biggest inspiration to me. Secondly Amritsar dint have any good bakeries, this was first of its kind .It has always been my dream to do something of my own and make my Own name .

What is your life mantra?

Opportunities don’t happen, You create them.

What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?

My training period which was about 4 months in The Imperial Hotel, New Delhi. I have learned a lot in those 4 months .

How did you overcome those challenges?

A lot of market surveys before i had to invest. IICA, New Delhi my institute helped me a lot to overcome all the problems

Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.

My dad had invested 20 lacs to start off . i repaid the amount within a year and further expanded on my own .we have the biggest machinery related to bakery in Amritsar which can cater to any number of orders in a day . later i invested another 15 lacs to turn that bakery into cafe .It turned out to be another success.

How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?

My workers are highly paid . i try to help them in their money needs and extra perks are given to them according to their service.

According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?

1) My customer is everything to me .I feel if we don’t take care of our customers someone else will.

2) Work hard as much as u can until u achieve what you want to.

3) Adaptability.

Which online tools/ services/ apps do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?

Facebook, Instagram, Google, Justdial, Zomato.

Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.

Trying on new recipes

Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.

Being over possessive sometimes.

Answer in less than 50 words

One tip to success:

Work hard and think about future plans and achieve them.

One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:

Making a right choice by selecting good staff.

One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:

Hard work pays off .

What are your plans for next 3 years?

A lot of people have been asking for franchise in their city .our new project is already in the pipeline expecting it to open by March. It’s gonna be the biggest cafe in Amritsar. Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Delhi would be my next investment.

If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?

I would like to improve my mistakes .

What are your top three getaway destinations?

Germany, Bali, Dubai

Share a quote that inspires you the most.

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”

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