MyGovindas, the Dubai-based Indian vegetarian food restaurant chain, is looking to embark on a major expansion both within the UAE and into other GCC markets, apparently to tap the rising post-pandemic buzz for ‘healthy diet’ in the region.
The niche food and beverage (f&b) player also plans to launch new product segments such as popular Indian snacks, herbal tea and a range of popular sweets from different parts of the South Asian country, including zero-sugar sweets under its brand.
“Post-Covid-19, we observe that there is a major shift in customers’ preference towards ‘healthy diet’ and we want to cater to this growing market by expanding both our operational geographies and product offerings,” Sanjit Advani, Director, MyGovindas, told Arabian Business.
“The geographical expansion will include opening new outlets in more emirates such as Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah, besides other GCC markets such as Oman, Qatar and Bahrain,” Advani, a business analyst-turned restaurateur, said.
He said the expansion plan could also include expanding the chain’s cloud kitchen operations in Abu Dhabi to more areas in the UAE and outside.
“We are also looking at taking MyGovindas to the US and European markets, but that will be through the franchisee route,” Advani said, adding getting the ‘right partners’ is the key for this plan.
Advani claimed that MyGovindas is an ideal place for vegetarians who follow a sattvic diet – everything on the menu is vegetarian, garlic-free, onion free, and made without any food coloring or preservatives.
Rising vegan trend in Middle East
The GCC’s plant-based food market is expected to reach close to $9 billion by 2027 from an estimated $4.42 billion in 2020, as per a report by Infinium.
Industry experts said one of the long-lasting changes emerging post-pandemic is the vegan trend and this is likely to gain more popularity in the coming years in the Middle East, as also globally.
A survey conducted by Deliveroo last year on people’s eating habits showed that 43 percent of the people were looking for more sustainable and plant-based meals, forcing restaurants in the Middle East region to quickly adapt to the new market dynamics by introducing more plant-based offerings and even adding meat alternatives to their menus.
“These are the times where more than restaurants, consumers shape the future of the restaurant industry. Restaurateurs must keep an eye on what is happening in the f&b market on both – restaurants’ and consumers’ fronts, to avoid missing out on any opportunities,” according to a PRIME report on top food and menu trends in the Middle East in 2022.
The MyGovindas story
Interestingly, the Dubai-based Advanis, who have been mainly into the business of cotton trading, ventured into the restaurant business when the family turned vegetarian in 2001.
“That time my father realized that there were not many options for good Indian vegetarian food in Dubai. That has prompted him to set up MyGovindas. It remained a single outlet business for 20 years till I took over this business in 2020,” said Advani, a US-returned, who also holds a hospitality degree from Switzerland.
He said the chain has added five more outlets within 1-2 years and has plans to add several more outlets – both in the UAE and in the larger GCC region in the coming years.
On the product side, Advani said MyGovindas is already marketing some of the popular Indian sweets and has plans to launch more Indian sweets, snacks and herbal or Ayurvedic products under its brand.
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