Sattvic cuisine, culture behind the success of 20-year old MyGovinda’s
Mahesh Advani is the founder of the UAE-based vegetarian restaurant chain MyGovinda’s. His son Sanjit Advani is the director. In a conversation with YourStory’s Gulf Edition, the father-son duo reflect on the journey of the restaurant chain.
At 17 and a half years old, Mahesh Advani had arrived in Dubai from Ajmer, India. The year was 1982, and Mahesh’s aim was to be financially independent.
“I came with a lot of ambitions and wanted to have my own business,” he recalls.
Close to six years later, the young boy stepped into textiles with Blossom Trading and built a successful business.
In the mid-90s, he made the decision to turn to a vegetarian lifestyle and dedicated himself to healthy eating. However, he did not find many options in Dubai back then.
It was his passion for cooking that made him think—why not start something of my own?
And there came MyGovinda’s—a vegetarian restaurant chain—in 2001. Today, the UAE-based restaurant chain welcomes over 15,000 customers every month.
The quest of finding the best vegetarian food in Dubai led Advani to establish MyGovinda’s. Currently, its outlets are counted among the city’s most sought food destinations.
MyGovinda's
Sattvic cuisine and experiential dining
On MyGovinda’s menu is vegetarian food; a range of products made out of dates, figs, apricots, prunes, and more; gluten-free and vegan food.
While dining expectations may vary, something that sticks across is our liking towards a quintessential experience, tasty—often healthy—food, and comfort.
Sattvic food at MyGovinda's
Upon stepping into any of MyGovinda’s restaurants, you will first be greeted with a lush green tree, vibrant colours, and tunes of devotional music. Settle in and prepare yourself to taste some healthy Indian flavours.
Sattvic cuisine is food that comprises fresh fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and grains, and other products. It is known to help maintain the calm and energy of the immune system.
A thali served at MyGovinda's
“Our ingredients are mostly locally sourced to ensure quality. We serve food that is nutritious, wholesome, and good for your body, mind, and soul,” says Sanjit.
He also notes that people are turning towards a healthier lifestyle in the region.
“In the last five to six years, people have become more health conscious, especially the Western expats. People are moving towards yoga, meditation, and just being one with themselves. Sattvic food is perfect for that,” says Sanjit.
The statistics reflect this as well. The GCC’s plant-based food market was valued at $4.42 billion in 2020. It is expected to reach $8.90 billion in 2027, with a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10.63% between 2021 and 2027, as per a report by Infinium.
Driven by changing lifestyles, after Saudi Arabia, UAE holds the second largest market share.
Amid this landscape, the 145-member team of MyGovinda’s does not just aim to serve healthier, tastier food, it also wants to make it a memorable experience.
The restaurant will make you feel like you’re entering a “little modern village” in India, says Sanjit.
“In the beginning, I wanted the space to resemble a village ‘chaupal’, where there is a tree, and all the elders sit around it. We began with that, and the tree remains the main element in all our outlets,” Mahesh adds.
MyGovinda's
Additionally, if an Indian festival is around the corner, the team makes every effort to make it a special experience for the customers.
“For example, for the Indian festival Basant Panchami, if a customer spent over 100 dirhams, we gave yellow-coloured dupattas to the women. We like to treat the children as well, with toys, colouring pencils, papers, and more,” Sanjit says.
Back in 2001, Mahesh had set up the first restaurant in Karama. Two decades later, it has expanded across Dubai and is present in JLT, Silicon Oasis, and Al Arjan. The restaurant chain also has a cloud kitchen outlet in Abu Dhabi.
MyGovinda's
The expansion across Dubai started when Sanjit joined the team in 2020.
“I saw a lot of room for growth. We are also focusing on sweets (mithai) and snacks (namkeen and chaat). Everything is made in-house, nothing is outsourced,” he says.
Challenges on the way
When Mahesh had started the restaurant, a major challenge was stepping into the people-intensive restaurant space.
While he knew the textile space through and through, entering the food business meant learning and unlearning along the way.
“My father had to learn on the go. Textile business is not as people-intensive, whereas in a restaurant, you have to talk to your team almost every day,” Sanjit shares.
In contrast to the challenges then, Sanjit is adapting to the growing contemporary costs associated with the business, and the evolving customer behaviours.
Currently, MyGovinda’s competes with the likes of Amala, Tresind Dubai, Bombay Brasserie, Purani Dilli Sheikh Zayed Road, Khyber, and Gazebo.
It is available across major delivery platforms, including Talabat, Deliveroo, EatEasy, and Careem, among others. Customers can also order from MyGovinda’s official website.
For the future, the team has exciting plans in place. “We are exploring opening another outlet at Deira in Dubai, which comes as a strategic move to cover major locations in the city,” Sanjit reveals.
Eventually, it plans on expanding across the region and exploring markets such as Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi for the same.
Looking back on his journey, Mahesh advises young entrepreneurs to be honest in what they do. “There is no replacement for hard work,” he signs off.
(Cover image designed by Chetan Singh)
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Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti