When an individual decides to take on the world and firmly so, no one, we repeat no one can stop him. In this case, her. Simran, a happy-go-lucky person who believes in caring and spreading love, decided one day to set off on one such journey and never looked back again. A passionate foodie who loved to experiment with her food, she made up her mind to carry through this experimentation fervour to a larger audience.
Food then was never the same again - not for her, not for the patrons of her cafe.
Simran didn't start off with her pursuit of passion on day one. She worked in many corporate jobs, helping other companies achieve their goals before she started thinking seriously about her own journey. While she was evaluating all her options, COVID (Coronavirus Disease), which plagued the entire world in 2019, came into play, putting lives and jobs at risk. For safety reasons, everyone was behind closed doors eating homecooked food and posting recipes online to somehow get past their day. They missed their times with friends, bingeing on that occasional vada pav, spending time with families, that hot cuppa with their favourite person - It was as if life was on hold.
But fortunately, it didn't last forever. 2021 brought hope and health back to us with most of India being vaccinated and safer than we first started out in 2019. And freedom was back.
Simran too went through a similar phase of distress and FOMO. But her challenges circled more around food. Although she desired to please her taste buds, she did not want to introduce junk food into her life. She was looking for a combination of healthy food with flavourful taste. She wanted to promote healthy eating and break rampant myths about nutritional food not being delicious. When she researched around, she found that almost everybody was looking for a healthy, delicious version of junk food.
Is it even possible, she asked herself? The answer was yes, it is. Simran had an ingenious idea of making delicious un-junked food.
She discussed this idea with her trainer Ganesh who is an Award Winning Athlete and fitness freak and they set out together in a small manner at their gym! Even though it was a small setup, it managed to attract the attention of people looking for healthy food without hassle, with its junk-iness intact.
As their business grew, so did their difficulties. Approximately one month later, they were notified that they had to vacate their gym and begin looking for another location. It was as if someone had just fired a bullet in their dreams. It was a very painful period because they had to shut down their baby business, even though they had loyal customers. Of course, time was short. But Simran, an aspiring entrepreneur, was not ready to give up yet. She found a way and reminded everyone that, “Every challenge is an opportunity.” Simran backed herself with her own hard-earned money. Through the help of her business partner Ganesh, she turned her baby into a brand called "The Fit Frenzi Cafe." The place was designed to satisfy all cravings of its patrons. It was made out to be a cafe where one can eat all their favourite dishes with pleasure, but completely zero guilt.
Building this brand was not easy. Neither Simran nor did Ganesh have any experience in the restaurant industry. They had started their journey from scratch. In the early days, they handled every aspect of the business themselves, from cooking healthy food to delivering it to customers. Simran was ready to tackle any obstacle that stood in her way.
Her job around her loyal customers was not just serving nutritious healthy meals. It was also to make her patrons aware of diet fads and how they affect a person's motivation and moods. When asked what they respond when she talks to them about their experience, Simran quips, "My customers are my motivation. My gratitude grows when I see a smile on their face and notice positive changes in their health."
Her personal health has been a huge motivator for her and those who have watched her grow in her journey. What better example than an individual beating PCOD and Diabetes from the tender age of 25 by consuming healthy food and advocating the many benefits of taking care of oneself to hundreds of customers? Yes, that's Simran for you.
With a good heart and good intentions, you can do almost anything you want in life. Simran has worked very hard to overcome her issues - business and health both. An independent woman, she works hard to achieve her dreams without anyone's support. But that doesn't stop her from helping others. She is a born leader with a forever keen nature to explore and experiment with different things. No wonder, the menu at her cafe is a true representative of her own personality.
Simran is the hero of her own story. A self-made entrepreneur living an un-junked lifestyle. She encourages all Founders to follow their dreams without expecting anyone's help. She believes no day is the same, so one needs to be economically savvy and keep our expectations in check. She constantly keeps telling herself this mantra -
Keep your head up and just keep working until you see your dream turning into reality clearly through your eyes.
Simran Luggani, Founder, The Fit Frenzi Cafe.
© Vygr Media Private Limited 2022. All Rights Reserved.
