During their three years in Delhi, students Samiksha Rai and Deepika Shrestha often found themselves craving for home cooked meals. They tried out high-end restaurants and local joints, but only the tiffin boxes delivered by the ubiquitous dabba walas in their crisp white shirts and Nehru caps came closest to giving them a taste of home.
Affordable and healthy, the service proved to be the perfect option for the two who were then living as paying guests. Inspired by the business model and wanting to feed hungry office-goers fresh home cooked meals, the cousins started a similar venture in Kathmandu called Pack My Lunch last month.
Both Rai and Shrestha are very hand-on with their pet project: from shopping for fresh vegetables in the morning to measuring the amount of oil that goes into each meal to helping with packaging and even making deliveries around town, the duo does everything on their own.
“We know the value of being consistent and efficient. And so far the response has been very encouraging. People like our food and are happy with the price,” says Shrestha.
In its first month of operation, Pack My Lunch rolled out a limited menu. Light meals consisting of momo, chow mein, and fried rice are priced at Rs 80 while a vegetarian lunch set costs Rs 100, add Rs 50 for the meat option. A cook prepares all the meals at their kitchen in Bishal Nagar from where the meal gets delivered to different corners of the city.
The service runs from Sunday to Friday 7am to 2pm and delivery is absolutely free. But orders (a minimum of five) need to be placed at least a day in advance. “Many people call us requesting for a single meal order but at our price, we can’t do that,” says Rai. “Without bulk orders, it will be very difficult for us to sustain,” adds Shrestha.
In the coming months, the two aim to upgrade the menu with weekly specials. But if you can’t wait for a taste of home, you can let them pack your lunch right now.
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