Debjyoti Saha (28) and Jyotirmoyee Saha (22) from Khardaha in West Bengal once faced uncertainty about their next meal.

Debjyoti Saha (28) and Jyotirmoyee Saha (22) from Khardaha in West Bengal once faced uncertainty about their next meal.

Today, they earn lakhs and provide steady income to several other families. They achieved this transformation through their booming dine-in restaurant, Phuchkawala.

Debjyoti, a former engineer, was supporting his family and his sister’s education until he lost his job in the COVID-19 lockdown, which left him struggling with EMIs, living expenses, and paying his sister’s college fees.

Before March 2020, the Sahas felt anxious and helpless. Inspiration struck in the form of phuchka (pani puri), Kolkata’s most beloved street food. They opened Phuchkawalla in 2020 with just Rs 15,000.

The shop space their father, Sridam, bought nearly a decade ago became their starting point. “The shop is not on the main road and had remained locked for over 10 years,” says Debjyoti.

Although the siblings were confident in their idea, their father couldn’t understand why his educated children would want to sell phuchkas.

Debjyoti saw potential in offering phuchka at a restaurant, noting that it was a niche market with no competition. “It seemed like an idea that could work if executed well,” he says.

The siblings aimed to stand out by offering something different. Being foodies, they decided to give the classic phuchka a twist by experimenting with unique fillings.

The duo handled everything at the restaurant, from cleaning and painting to furnishing and running it. With nothing left to lose, they decided to give it their all to survive, knowing things couldn’t get worse.

They began with seven types of stuffed phuchkas and now have over 25 varieties — including Bangladeshi phuchkas with egg fillings and phuchkas with chocolate and ice cream fillings to cater to all palettes.

Recently, they’ve added shahi chicken, prawns, and paneer phuchkas, and also offer sandwiches, momos, fish fries, and drinks. A plate of six phuchkas ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 200.

Sales were excellent when they started in October 2020 during Durga Pujo, but the second phase of the lockdown hit hard, forcing the restaurant to close.

They soon got requests to deliver phuchkas to customers’ homes, so they began delivering and later teamed up with food aggregators. Now, they operate over five outlets in West Bengal, cater to weddings and festivals, and have more than 25 staff members.

Recently, Jyotirmoyee won the Youngest Woman Entrepreneur award from AEMPL and GEM Enterprises in Dubai.

Now, Phuchkawala is a family affair: Debjyoti and Jyotirmoyee oversee operations, their father manages finances, their mother Sushila designs the menu, and Poulami, Debjyoti’s wife, handles social media.