Vasudev Adiga has an appetite for scaling up his Udupi restaurant outlets
On a recent Monday afternoon, a Vasudev Adiga’s restaurant in a leafy Bangalore neighbourhood represented the energy of a metropolis. Customers parked their two-wheelers, rushed into the restaurant, paid for their order, jumped to another counter to collect it, and ran to find a place at the crowded high tables. They hurried through their lunch and rushed out as quickly as they had gone in. A floor above, the same Adiga’s could have been a different country. The pace was relaxed, half the tables were empty, customers were sitting in groups, and taking suggestions from the waiters. On the surface, it looks like a clear case of customer distinction: One floor for the high-footfall, small-ticket quick-service diners, and another for big-ticket clientele. But KN Vasudeva Adiga knows something more about these two sets of customers: They are the same. The same people who rush in and rush out of the ground floor come back with their family or friends to the first floor for the quality of the fare. His vision is simple: Offer the same quality and consistency across a hundred outlets.
(This story appears in the 09 November, 2012 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)