Passion, Persistence, and Punjabi-Flavours, ft. Tadka Singh and Swiggy! 

January 25, 2025

Here’s how a brand brought home-like Punjabi cuisine to Bengaluru, and Swiggy’s role in the ever-growing journey.

‘Don’t do it! It’s a thankless venture.’ 

This was advice that Pavandeep Singh kept hearing when he mentioned anything about starting his own restaurant. With a background in the automobile business and no prior experience in the F&B space, fulfilling his dream was no easy feat. But with relentless passion and conviction, he made his ambition come to life with Tadka Singh. 

Today, 12 years later, Tadka Singh is winning hearts with authentic Punjabi flavours that feel like home. From being one of Swiggy’s earliest restaurant partners to growing amidst Bengaluru’s culinary scene, here is the brand’s evolution, ably supported by Swiggy’s Account Manager, Sumit Mishra.

Pavandeep Singh, Owner of the Tadka Singh

A tasteful beginning

Pavandeep’s restaurant venture had a very unconventional beginning. “At a time when tweets were gaining popularity, I was observing the buzz all around. Just for fun, I started an anonymous page named Tadka Singh and began replying to posts of trending profiles. The replies got noticed, and whenever I met my friends, they would talk about the page without even knowing it was me,” says Pavandeep, who was then inspired to turn Tadka Singh into a brand. “My wife and I worked with more than 10 designers before we finally cracked a fun, quirky logo for the brand,” adds Pavandeep.

There’s more to the story. “I was working on a startup-based automobile business, and one day, I happened to discuss the idea of a food stall with a friend who ran the flea market in Kitsch Mandi, Bengaluru,” narrates Pavandeep, who was ready to seize the opportunity when it came his way. 

“In preparation, I taught myself how to barbecue at home. But then a day before my food stall stint, I found out that we were allowed to use only pre-cooked items and microwave there,” adds Pavandeep, who then turned to his mother for help.

A crowd favourite dish at the Tadka Singh

“From Keema Pav and Chole Kulche to Aloo Parathas, my mom cooked it all with me helping her out. We were serving food for 12 hours at a time, and it was all sold out,” says Pavandeep, who then took his well-known Keema Pav stall to more flea markets. 

As the food stalls became increasingly popular, Pavandeep knew it was time to make it a full-fledged restaurant business. He learned the operational side of things by working as an intern. “In those few months, I figured out the processes I needed to implement for my business,” adds Pavandeep, who also hired two North Indian chefs to grow the small team. 

With the brand identity and operational planning in place, the next step was to finalise the menu. “Along with my mother, I tried out several varieties of North Indian dishes, and decided that we would serve the ones that felt the most like home-cooked food,” says Pavandeep, who wanted to focus on quality food with a simple restaurant setup. 

With time, Tadka Singh became a popular name for Punjabi cuisine in Bengaluru. But the pandemic in 2020 came with its own challenges. “I remember we had to rely more on home deliveries, and our revenue did get impacted. But we ensured that our team remained intact and stronger than ever,” says Pavandeep, who also provided free homemade meals to many affected by the pandemic. 

This selfless act garnered significant media attention for the brand during a low phase. Today with three outlets across Bengaluru, the brand is on a steady growth trajectory, with Swiggy contributing as a proud partner. 

Swiggy’s Account Manager, Sumit Mishra

The Swiggy tadka

“It was around 2015 when Sriharsha came to our restaurant for an onboarding opportunity with Swiggy. I was immediately impressed by his conviction and felt he was meant for something big,” says Pavandeep.

Almost a decade later, the partnership continues to flourish. When Swiggy’s Account Manager, Sumit Mishra took charge of the brand in August 2024, he figured out a fresh way forward. “Firstly, we identified the right metrics to boost organic and inorganic sales through effective marketing,” says Sumit. “Through item-level sales data, I figured out there were a few bestselling dishes such as Malai Kebab and Chole Kulche that were frequently going out of stock. These insights helped Pavandeep and team to devise better strategies and meet growing customer demands,” adds Sumit, who also helped the brand track menu items for which the ratings could be improved. 

The relationship thrives on mutual support and proactive collaboration. “Pavandeep and team have always been open to trying out everything Swiggy has to offer, actively seeking suggestions or changes,” he adds. 

“We have also identified potential spots in Bengaluru where the demand for North Indian food is high,” says Sumit, hinting at the brand’s plans to expand further.

Talking more about the future of Tadka Singh, Pavandeep adds, “We want to reach more cities as a cloud-kitchen brand, as the aim is to take authentic Punjabi fare to more households. As for more immediate plans, we will soon be launching another outlet in Bengaluru.”

Signing off with some insights for budding F&B entrepreneurs, he says, “Firstly, having your family’s support will always be your biggest strength. It’s great to have them accompany you on the journey. Next, you must love what you do. Of course, a business requires you to focus on profits, but it’s the undying passion that keeps you going. Finally, it’s important to have strong processes and systems in place, as they will help keep the business running sustainably.”

With a unique origin story and deliciously authentic food, Tadka Singh continues to reach more plates and palates with the freshness of Punjabi cuisine. Here’s hoping the brand always has fascinating stories to tell, all with a generous dose of tadka!

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