“I think to be totally honest, it was desperation.”
The ones have been the phrases of Siraj, who’s one-half of the couple at the back of Mahmud’s Tandoor. Along with his spouse Syirah, the duo’s tandoori burger emblem first took root right through the pandemic, born out of “desperation”, as Siraj put it.
On the year, Syirah have been running as a distinct wishes coach. However nearest 5 years within the business, she wanted a crack, particularly for the reason that couple was once anticipating their first child on the year.
In the meantime, Siraj was once running as a editor with SGAG. He informed Vulcan Submit that he in point of fact cherished the activity, however sadly nearest 4 years with the corporate, he felt like he wasn’t not hidden as a need and thus determined you’ll want to surrender.
“It was painful and shocking, but I guess if it did not happen then neither would this,” he spread out.
“This” refers to Mahmud’s Tandoor, in fact, which the couple to start with supposed to run as only one particular person’s full-time, generation the alternative labored a generation activity. However as they discovered themselves in a condition the place each have been unemployed, they determined to advance all in at the trade.
“Courage, I guess, is necessary in every business, but fear too can be equally powerful if harnessed the right way,” Siraj stated. “Our thought was, ‘If we don’t give this a try today, we’re going to regret it later. Besides we’re young enough to fail.’”
With that YOLO mentality, Mahmud’s Tandoor was once unhidden for trade.
A crowd recipe
The foundation at the back of Mahmud’s Tandoor is if truth be told Syirah’s dad, who had a tandoori recipe that the couple was once keen on.
“It had a common heritage between both our races and it was something achievable, thus Mahmud’s Tandoor was born,” Siraj defined.
Settingup out as an internet trade, they introduced tandoori wings and teh tarik, which won heat reception, however was once under no circumstances an immediate good fortune.
However slowly and ceaselessly, with assistance from buddies and crowd, Mahmud’s Tandoor started to achieve traction. What in point of fact were given them the residue spice up, even though, was once social media.
One generation, they posted a photograph in their tandoori hen, marinated with a boneless thigh, and put it in between two buns. Seems, nation cherished the theory of a tandoori burger.
At first, they totally stored to Syirah’s dad’s recipe. On the other hand, the comments confirmed that the flavor profile was once too robust for some.
“So we had to go back and R&D and ask ourselves, ‘How do we keep the essence of the recipe yet cater towards a wider palate?’”
Their fried tandoori burger (dubbed Crispydoori), was once one results of stated R&D, serving to create tandoori hen extra out there and relaxing for all.
“Some have called it a blasphemy of tandoori as it’s not cooked in a tandoor, but taste it once and you’ll understand the goodness of tandoori is still there in all its fried glory,” Siraj stated.
And he will have to be proper, since Mahmud’s Tandoor went directly to be Winner of Halal Awards in 2020, and after spread out a brick-and-mortar location.
Balancing creativity and entrepreneurship
Apart from being a co-founder for Mahmud’s, Siraj additionally juggles being a humorist and editor, and naturally, a father.
“I think as a creative, you don’t silo yourself into one thing ever,” he stated. “Our lives are just one big ball of experiences and more often than not it all feeds into one another.”
He elaborated, “What I experience in fatherhood, often comes in my comedy, and my comedy then benefits my business as people recognise me, and that again feeds into my income to help have a better, balanced life as a working dad, thus having a bit more time to experience fatherhood and having more material for comedy.”
For the ones, particularly from the ingenious farmland, who need to pivot into entrepreneurship, Siraj has some phrases of knowledge to percentage. To begin with, cash.
“The finance had to make sense no matter how passionate we were, and that was a bitter pill we had to swallow at the very start,” he stated. “It was painful for us to have to raise prices for our customers, but we had to do it, so we could pay people properly and ensure the quality of our food and service.”
Even though Siraj recognises that having sure money current and incomes a habitable source of revenue is noteceable, he additionally emphasized that making “mad money” will have to no longer be the main motivator.
“It’s a tough road with many challenges, but if your purpose and mission is strong, that will keep you going and if at the end of the day, it doesn’t work out, you’ll know that at least you fulfilled your purpose and mission,” he stated.
Weathering the hurricane in combination
When requested to offer some recommendation for individuals who are considering to challenge into entrepreneurship with their important alternative, Siraj’s resolution was once: “Don’t.”
He’s joking, in fact.
“We’ve had lots of time where the lines between husband and wife and business partners are blurred and arguments are brought over and get very heated,” he admitted. “We do our best to keep it separate but hey, work life integration right?”
Now folks of 2, their children grant as a just right reminder to create certain they let go paintings at the back of and be with crowd.
Being companions in past and in trade has its professionals as neatly. For one, a trade is sort of a dating—each require consider.
“Trust that the other person is looking out for the best of you,” Siraj stated. “And if ever, that trust begins to fade or waver, then it’s time to talk it out and renew that trust and build on it. That trust and strong bond is the backbone of the business and your marriage, so always work on it and make time for it.”
There are enough extra demanding situations that Siraj and Syirah face as marketers. For one, having been hired prior to now, they bear in mind the enjoyment of getting paid pleasure, the place you’ll be able to simply let go for ease and no longer take into accounts the corporate.
“Oof, nikmat oi,” Siraj reminisced.
Now even if the couple is going on ease, they’re nonetheless on name and support govern and treatment conditions since Mahmud’s continues to be so younger.
“It’s just the way it is,” he stated. “With time, we and the company will mature and have more systems and processes but till then we still have to be hands on.”
True to that sentiment, Siraj stated that they have got been slowly imposing extra techniques to create certain the team of workers is extra self-reliant. He credit Syirah because the mastermind at the back of those efforts.
In spite of the entire demanding situations, he has negative plans of going again to a 9-to-5.
“I think that’s one of the things about entrepreneurship, it is a bug, I guess,” he mused. “Once you’ve got a feel of being a business ‘owner’, it owns you really, it’s hard to be on the other end as an employee.”
In the future, the couple hopes to develop Mahmud’s Tandoor right into a cult rapid meals emblem. It doesn’t should be the largest participant available in the market, however they’d love to have a robust unswerving following that swears by way of their meals and go back time and again.
“Are we going to be a multi-million-dollar brand with franchises around the world one day?” Siraj questioned. “Maybe, if that’s right for the brand. But for now, we’re happy in our small little booth, doing our best providing good food and good service to people.”
Be told extra about Mahmud’s Tandoor right here.
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Featured Symbol Credit score: Mahmud’s Tandoor
