This 21-year old entrepreneur started a restobar amid the pandemic, now eyes pan-India expansion

Popular American talk show host Oprah Winfrey once said that the “biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams”. The quote fits well for Karan Nohria who, since his teenage years, dreamt of opening a restaurant that would make people feel comfortable being themselves. 

“Each one of us has a silly side but we, however, conceal that within when going to any fancy place for dining. I wanted to open a place where people could be who they are and not worry about dressing up or anything else. That’s what inspired me to start Silly —  a fuss free, easy going space,” Karan tells SMBStory. 

Twenty-one-year old Karan started Silly in March 2021 in the Khar area of Mumbai. He says that despite the COVID-19 restrictions, the place has been running well. 

“We have been able to recover 45 percent of our investment and are expecting to reach break-even in the next six to eight months,” Karan claims, adding that the plan next is to expand beyond Mumbai. 

Silly has been witnessing customer footfalls in spite of restrictions, a success Karan attributes to the company following all norms and checks in place without compromising on the offerings to the customers. 

Making the best of everything

Right after completing his schooling, Karan helped his parents in their businesses. He says that having real-life experience of running a business helped him move towards entrepreneurship.

“I always wanted to open a restaurant but I had no background of the industry but I acquired business running skills from my parents and close family friends who are running different businesses. I sat with them and learnt practical lessons which is far more valuable than any theories,” he added.

His practical lessons have been the mantra for his business survival amid COVID-19 pandemic. “Silly is a pandemic baby,” Karan says, adding that he had started work in April 2021 right before the second wave lockdown and opened the restaurant in June when the restrictions were eased. But he ensured customers and staff safety before anything else.

During the Christmas Holidays of 2021, Karan came up with the concept of organising Secret Santa where Karan became the elf and Silly the Secret Santa for over 15,000 of its customers to fulfill their wishes of learning different cuisines in 92 days i.e. end of March 2022. 

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Challenges

Silly is a bootstrapped business Karan says where he invested around Rs 6.5 crore with the help of his mother. Karan claims that he has been able to recover 45 percent of the investment and is expecting to reach break-even in the next six to eight months.

“Turning into a profitable business can take some more time as the third wave has set in and we have put our expansion plans on hold for a short stint. Though the work in Delhi is about to start we aren’t committing anything to ourselves given the government can come up with new restrictions or anything now.”

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Talking about the challenges and competition, Karan says that the biggest challenge is the COVID-19 threat where ensuring customer and staff safety is a priority while running the business efficiently. From a competition perspective, Karan seems very clear and says that every restaurant or a cafe has something different to offer so competing with anyone doesn’t give any better results. 

Future prospects

Karan says he plans to open Silly in South Delhi but did not specify the location. Over the next few years, he wants to take Silly to Hyderabad and from there, pan India. 

Karan is also planning to come up with pet day care services, a project that he says is still in the ideation phase.