Way to go: A dream cut short, she manages to keep all her plates spinning

Strap: A restaurant owner upholding with basement culinary institute and online delivery of meals

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 14

Drishti Nanda, one of city’s youngest food entrepreneurs and former Masterchef finalists was building up on her dreams of expanding her restaurant ‘Bakehouse’ when the pandemic struck. Two years into it’s opening, Drishti was doing well as a food entrepreneur and also running her culinary institute. “But then, a lot of things changed suddenly for everyone as the lockdown was announced. For me it was one of the most difficult times as I had to make a decision to shut my restaurant,” shares the young baker.

Running on rentals, she had to work out the logistics of supporting her dream or taking a more practical approach and surviving the pandemic-triggered economical crisis. “I decided to shut Bakehouse and shift my business toward ‘order only’ online delivery mode. Also, my focus is now to keep my culinary institute running that I have now shifted to my home’s basement,” she says.

Currently, she is taking culinary coaching classes out of her home apart from upholding her food delivery business. “Of course, it’s not what you can earn from a restaurant, but the focus now is on sustainability. The scope of running a business has completely changed from achieving higher business goals to just hanging in there until things normalise,” the 25-year-old tells.

While the battering from the curbs has lend some bruises but Drishti hasn’t lost hope. “Working on rentals is out of question for many as a lot of businesses might not open again. But I hope that this shall pass too and with my culinary institute, I will rebuild my restaurant when the time is right. Whatever the situation, I want to keep cooking and innovating. I feel that if one door closes, a few more open up,” she says.

Meanwhile, she has been conducting online food workshops and classes, teaching her followers to turn simple, everyday recipes into fine dining spectacles.