Here Is The Success Story Of Dada Boudi Biryani

As you enter the crowded 'Dada Boudi' restaurant in Barrackpore, Kolkata, the scent of Awadhi biryani fills the air. Since the late 1980s, when siblings Sanjib and Rajib Saha, then in their mid teens, presented the delicious dish at their family's small 200 sq ft restaurant, which was launched by their grandpa in 1961, the outlet has been popular with biryani fans.

They now have three locations, all of which are quite busy at lunch times. Every day, they sell 700 kg of biryani, with mutton biryani costing Rs 260 a dish and chicken biryani costing Rs 200. 

Dada Boudi's yearly revenue has already surpassed Rs 15 crore, and it continues to rise year after year. Many stars, including retired Indian cricket captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, are among their clients. 

Dada Boudi's success is due to the brothers' tireless efforts, which have propelled the family firm to new levels that neither their grandpa nor father could have imagined. While Sanjib completed Grade 12, his younger brother Rajib was only able to complete Grade 10. However, the brothers made sure that the biryani they cooked was of high quality and that there was plenty of it so that people would keep coming back. Each biryani plate has 800 gram of biryani rice, 200 grammes of mutton (or chicken), and a piece of aaloo, which is a signature dish of Awadhi biryani.

His grandpa Ramprasad, who had relocated to Kolkata with his wife and 6 children from Motihari in East Champaran District in Bihar, opened their first restaurant on Ghosh Para Road near Barrackpore railway station in 1961. For so many years, the eatery went by the name "Dal-Roti" and served just dal-roti and sabzi (vegetables). Dhiren Saha, Ramprasad's son, took over the restaurant over 15 years later and increased the menu. He expanded his menu from boiled rice to fish curry to chicken and ultimately red meat curries.

Dhiren's wife, Sandhya Saha, eventually joined hands with her husband, giving the duo the nickname Dada Boudi. Dada Boudi became the name of the restaurant quite quickly. Dhiren and Sandhya ran the restaurant with just two other people, and their school-aged children Sanjib and Rajib used to assist them after school.

About 5 years ago, the Saha brothers launched their second branch in Barrackpore, and the Sodpur location launched in July 2019. They have a total of 35 employees. The brothers now live at Shyamasreepally in Barrackpore, about a 10-minute drive from their eatery, and live a happy, prosperous, and fulfilled existence.

Rajib is a pet person, whereas Sanjib enjoys travelling and has visited practically every European and South-East Asian country. He has a number of pedigree dogs, as well as a variety of birds, including a cockatoo, and a fantastic aquarium. Both of them are married and have children. Rajib has a daughter, while Sanjib has a son and a daughter.