'Sell burgers, buy a Benz': Here is another underdog success story

THRISSUR: There is a not-so-usual scene every morning in Thrissur. Two youngsters come to a burger shop in their BMW and Benz cars. If you think that these two are the children of millionaires, you are wrong. One is the son of a 'pappadam maker'. The second's father is unemployed.

These youngsters from Thrissur, Rahul and Binoj, opened a burger shop with a loan using their houses as mortgages and even the jewellery of their mothers.

Rahul and Binoj were classmates at Elthuruth St. Aloysius College. In 2017, after finishing B.Com, they became interested in opening a burger shop. But no one was willing to give a shop to the 'college boys'. After a lot of wandering, they finally got a shop near St. Thomas College, Thrissur. The rent was Rs 30,000 per month. The capital was a loan of Rs 15 lakh.

The shop was named Burger Castle. The burgers were made and sold by themselves. Not even burgers worth a thousand rupees were sold in the beginning. Their debt increased and the Covid situation added fuel to the fire.

As they were unable to open shop, they decided to take online order. The duo distributed the shop's notice in newspapers in the morning. They worked hard day and night. Finally they were able to reap profit. When the Covid ban was lifted, another shop was also opened near the Mulankunanthukkavu Govt. Medical College. That was a success as well. Last year, two more shops were opened in Cheroor and Edamutta.

Both of them had the desire to buy luxury cars when they cleared their debts. They decided not to waste all their money on new ones and instead opted for secondhand cars. Rahul got a BMW for 18 lakhs and Binoj got a Benz for 21 lakhs.

Bosses of 35 employees

There are 35 employees in their shop. Even the big burger joints in Thrissur city don't have this much staff and turnover. Those who dismissed them as college kids are amazed by their success. Another shop will be soon opened in Kakkanad in Kochi.