Most college students are busy chasing deadlines, attending lectures and figuring out their first jobs. Ananya Agarwal, however, had another responsibility to add to her calendar: running a cafe.
The 21-year-old, who is in her final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies, co-founded Lume & Lime, a vegetarian bistro in Gurugram, which reportedly earned Rs 15 lakh in its first 50 days.
Building a business while completing a degree is no small task. Ananya has to juggle college attendance, assignments and examinations while ensuring that her restaurant runs smoothly.
Speaking to Curly Tales, she admitted that managing both worlds takes effort but said entrepreneurship is something she is passionate about.
“I am learning along the way. Entrepreneurship means a lot to me,” she said.
WHY ANANYA WANTED TO OPEN A CAFE
For Ananya, the idea was not simply to open another restaurant. She wanted to create a warm, welcoming space where people could enjoy good food without feeling rushed.
But she also had a clear idea about the food she wanted to serve.
Speaking about the Indian restaurant scene, Ananya pointed out that international cuisines often undergo heavy Indianisation, with additional spices and flavours changing their original character.
“In India, we add a lot of Indianised flavours to Italian, Mediterranean or Mexican cuisine. So the authenticity of the cuisine goes away because so many spices are added to it,” she explained, as per Curly Tales.
Her aim with Lume & Lime was to retain the authentic flavours of these cuisines rather than heavily adapting them to Indian tastes.
LEARNING THE BUSINESS ALONGSIDE HER FATHER
Ananya’s entrepreneurial journey is also a family venture. She co-founded Lume & Lime with her parents, Dr Vishal Agrawal and Preeti Agrawal.
Her father brings more than a decade of business experience to the table, giving the young entrepreneur an opportunity to learn the business beyond what her management degree can teach her.
The experience appears to involve much more than overseeing a restaurant. From brand discussions and business meetings to understanding how a hospitality venture is built and positioned, Ananya is getting a first-hand look at the decisions that go into running a business.
It is an unusual extension of her classroom learning. While she studies management as part of her degree, she is also getting to see how those concepts play out in real business decisions, with her parents as co-founders.
WHAT DOES LUME & LIME SERVE?
The vegetarian-only bistro brings together Italian, Mexican and Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
Its menu includes brick-oven pizzas, handmade pastas, tacos, mezze platters, specialty breads and different varieties of fries. The cafe also serves specialty coffee, beverages and desserts, with vegan options available.
According to its Instagram account, Lume & Lime operates daily from 9 am to 11 pm.
Ananya’s venture offers an interesting example of how young entrepreneurs are experimenting with business ideas while still pursuing formal education.
For now, the 21-year-old has two demanding roles: completing her degree and building a restaurant business. And if its first 50 days are anything to go by, her college years are turning out to be quite different from those of most students.
– Ends
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