From Canteen Cravings to IPO Dreams: The Story of Zomato

We often think the next big startup will come from boardrooms, pitch decks, or midnight hackathons.

But sometimes… It begins in a canteen line. With hunger. With a simple question—“Menu kaha hai?” And two friends who decided to fix it.

This is the story of Zomato. And how a lunch-break idea became a household name.

🥘 The Biryani Beginning

Back in 2008, two IIT Delhi grads—Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah—were working at Bain & Co.

Every day, chaos unfolded in the cafeteria. Long lines. Confused faces. The same question echoed: “What’s on the menu?”

So what did they do?

They scanned the menu. Uploaded it. Shared the link. Problem solved. People loved it.

A tiny act of convenience. That’s how movements begin.

👨💻 Enter: FoodieBay

Yes, before it was Zomato, it was called FoodieBay. Just a menu aggregator for office colleagues.

No 10-year vision. No unicorn aspirations. Just two guys scratching their own itch.

But like every great startup story— What started as a hack… soon became a habit.

🚀 From Hobby to Hustle

Other offices started requesting it. Restaurants began calling. Users multiplied.

So Deepinder and Pankaj did what brave founders do: They quit their cushy consulting jobs. Rebranded to Zomato (thank you, trademark threat from eBay). And went all in.

📈 Growing, Glitching, Growing Again

Zomato expanded city by city. Added reviews, ratings, photos.

They made the food experience more than just utility. They made it digital, social, and visual.

Of course, there were stumbles. Delays. Scaling issues. Tech hiccups. But the team kept at it.

🍛 The Big Pivot: Food Delivery

Menus were helpful. But users didn’t just want to browse—they wanted to eat.

Zomato entered the food delivery game. A whole new battlefield.

Swiggy was already sprinting. The competition was cutthroat. But Zomato stayed hungry—and kept moving.

🇮🇳 Gutsy & Desi

Zomato made bold moves.

→ Acquired Urbanspoon in the U.S. → Experimented with groceries. → Dropped it. Tried again. Dropped it again.

They didn’t fear failure. They just learned faster than most. And kept coming back stronger.

📊 IPO & Beyond

In 2021, Zomato did something historic. It became the first Indian consumer tech company to go public.

From scanned menus to ringing the stock exchange bell… What a ride.

And yet—it still feels like they’re just getting started.

🍴 The Real Recipe

Zomato didn’t just deliver food. They delivered delight.

Funny app messages. Relatable emails. Smart marketing. A tone that felt like us.

They weren’t a tech company. They were a mood.

💭 Your Turn

What if you acted on that small daily pain you’ve learned to ignore?

Because sometimes the most powerful startups don’t start with scale in mind. They start with service. With a simple solution. With showing up.

That scanned menu? That was the seed of a revolution.

And if Zomato can rise from a cafeteria complaint— So can your idea.

This is The Startup Stories by SkillKrafter Academy—where I, Ajit Panicker, bring you startup tales not for hype, but for heart.

Stay curious. Stay hungry.

📥 Share this story with someone who's cooking up their own idea. 💡 Got a story you want me to cover next? Drop it in the comments.

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[Ajit Panicker] Life Skills Facilitator | L&D Architect | Motivational Speaker | Author of 'BOSSOLOGY: HOW TO MANAGE YOUR BOSS?' | Transformation Coach | Founder – The SkillKrafter Academy