A Fast Food and Bakery Take-Away counter in Downtown, Mumbai - Essay Example

The initial setup of the bakery and fast food counter would be a small one to involve as little investment and risk as possible. The preliminary research has revealed that there are very few bakeries and fast food counters in the populated areas of Mumbai and hence, the competitive edge of the project would be its location inviting a lot of pedestrian traffic on a daily basis. The main customers of the counter would be office going youngsters and students who like mobile food and snacks and have a preference for Western origin food more than their local origins.

The initial setup cost of the counter including the construction, rentals, machinery, raw material, etc. is around $ 76,000, which is an estimate calculated from the data of take away counters of similar capacity. An analysis of the location tells us that Mumbai is thickly populated with people belonging to all the backgrounds: Upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, and the lower class. The main target audience of the counter would be people belonging to middle class and the higher classes.

Since Mumbai is densely populated with average income people, investing in a bakery that has numerous future prospects seems like an investment that is worthwhile. Another interesting factor is the change in the eating habits of people especially among the younger lot. They prefer fast food and snacks that they can eat while on the go. Hence, a take away counter for bakery items and fast food would definitely be a profitable venture. The Gantt chart of the project shows that it would take the counter approximately more than two months starting from research up until its launch.

Project Description The outcome that the project would achieve is the setup of a take-away counter selling bakery and fast food items such as hot breads, rolls, cakes, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. The location of the counter would be in downtown Mumbai, India so that it gets a lot of foot traffic from the nearby offices, schools, colleges, etc. The target market of the counter is young and middle-aged people working in offices or students who are constantly moving and need to eat outside their homes.

As mentioned earlier, the eating habits of all younger generation are very different from the older lot, they prefer fast food and bakery items and thus, a counter catering to their needs would ensure lots of people coming during lunch and teatime hours. Another possible consumer base of the counter would be people with a sweet tooth and other who like to buy cakes and pastries for celebrations and religious festivals, which are abundant in India. The counter would host products such as pastries, custom made cakes, biscuits, mini muffins, etc.

The counter would also place tables and chairs nearby so that consumers who want to sit can have their meals comfortably. The counter would have self-service. The packaging would be attractive and artistically done for takeaways and gifts. A study of the market has provided that food business, specifically bakeries, fast food, and other similar outlets suffer less even in the time of recession. Another advantage with such counters is that they are easy to setup and not a lot of technical expertise is necessary.

The overall business model of such ventures is pretty straight forward with a direct revenue model that does not have a lot of risk involved. The success of such a counter depends on the following factors: market need, taste and product quality. Mumbai is a metropolitan city with the people residing here belonging to all backgrounds and coming from all parts of India bringing in their own cultural heritage and taste. Here, the