“My connection with food began when I was a child. My father was in the Indian Navy, so I grew up across India. Living in Maharashtra, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Delhi, and several other places introduced me to new cultures and cuisines with every move, sparking a deep curiosity. That curiosity took me further. I traveled to 13 countries in two years, trying everything from Spanish and Greek to Icelandic, Moroccan, and Turkish food. I never learned cooking from my mother or grandmother; I learned by traveling, eating at restaurants, and experimenting.
I studied Computer Science, completed an MBA in Global Business, and spent more than six years as an analyst with Fortune 500 companies, including Amazon and World Fuel Services. I learned a lot in the corporate world, but after those intense years, I felt I wanted to build something of my own. Food kept pulling me back. In Barcelona, I tried an acai bowl that stayed with me, and that experience became part of the inspiration for Chippa Bowl Bar in Hyderabad.
I wanted to bring something new beyond the usual brownies and cupcakes, starting with signature chia pudding bowls and Tunisian Medjool dates stuffed with peanut butter or kunafa and dipped in dark chocolate. I always ask, ‘Does the donut love you back?’ I don’t want to make food people simply love. I want it to give something back, too.
Our cloud kitchen is in Bowenpally, and every weekend we take our food to a pop-up in Sainikpuri. We launched nine weeks ago and have sold out every weekend. I started with a loan from my father. After our first week, I told him, ‘Dad, I spent your money and got it back, too.’ Breaking even that quickly made the idea feel real.
But what really excites me is seeing people discover something new. When a customer takes that first bite and their face lights up, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.
I’ve been an engineer, an MBA graduate, a corporate analyst, and now an entrepreneur. I’ve realized we don’t have to follow just one path in life. We can keep learning, keep exploring, and give ourselves the freedom to try something new. Right now, I’m having a lot of fun doing exactly that.”
- Spandana