PUNE, INDIA — In an era where convenience often takes precedence over quality, entrepreneur Chetan Ganatra is proving that a successful food business can be built on honesty, freshness, and values rather than shortcuts. As the Founder of TheplaCo , Ganatra has created more than just a restaurant brand — he has launched a movement aimed at restoring trust in restaurant food.
With an annual turnover exceeding Rs. 1.5 crore and thousands of satisfied customers every month, TheplaCo has become a fast-growing name in Pune’s food industry. Yet, according to Ganatra, financial success has never been the ultimate goal.
“I wasn’t trying to build another restaurant. I wanted to build a brand that could make people trust restaurant food again.”
A Journey Inspired by Home
Born into a business family, Chetan Ganatra completed his Master’s in Marketing and Finance before joining his family’s business. However, his relationship with food began much earlier.
More than fifteen years ago, while living away from home for higher education, he constantly missed his mother’s cooking. Like countless students, he found himself longing for simple home-cooked meals.
Instead of accepting the distance, he would call his mother almost every day, asking her to explain recipes step by step. Those conversations became lessons that extended far beyond cooking. She taught him that food is not merely about ingredients or recipes — it is about care, emotion, and love. That philosophy eventually became the foundation of TheplaCo.
The Turning Point: COVID Changed Everything
Life took an unexpected turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. While actively serving and supporting frontline workers, Ganatra contracted COVID-19 three times. The third infection severely impacted his health, eventually leading to a heart stent procedure at the age of just 36.
What initially appeared to be a devastating setback became a defining moment. During his recovery, a conversation with his doctor permanently changed his perspective.
“Our health is greatly influenced by what we eat and when we eat.”
Those words inspired him to deeply study nutrition, traditional cooking methods, cooking oils, and ingredient quality. Rather than simply creating another restaurant, Ganatra set out to prove that restaurant food could be delicious without compromising health or ethics.
Building TheplaCo with Responsibility
Founded in Pune, TheplaCo was built around one simple principle: fresh food is not a luxury — it is how food was always meant to be.
Unlike many commercial kitchens, TheplaCo follows strict preparation standards. The restaurant completely avoids palm oil, does not use frozen gravies, and prepares fresh food every day. Nearly 90% of cooking is done using premium groundnut oil , while the remaining 10% uses sunflower oil , ensuring better quality without compromising taste.
The brand specializes in authentic Gujarati cuisine while also celebrating Kolkata-style chaat, reflecting Ganatra’s personal journey and upbringing. Every dish is prepared with one guiding question:
“Would I proudly serve this to my own family?”
If the answer is no, the dish never reaches a customer.
More Than a Business
Today, TheplaCo has crossed Rs. 1.5 crore in annual revenue and serves thousands of guests every month. However, Ganatra believes numbers alone cannot define success. According to him, the true achievement lies in remaining committed to the brand’s founding values despite the pressures of scaling a business.
“The biggest ingredient in our food isn’t flour, spices, or oil. It’s love. Love that I learnt from my mother. Love that our team puts into every dish. Love that every guest should be able to taste.”
Family Behind the Vision
TheplaCo’s growth has also been powered by a close-knit team built on trust. Ganatra’s sister contributes her communication expertise, his brother-in-law leads marketing initiatives, and his childhood friend — bringing over two decades of sales leadership — plays a key role in expanding the business. Together, they have built more than a company. They have become custodians of a shared vision centered on quality, integrity, and customer trust.
The Sacrifices Behind Entrepreneurship
Building TheplaCo has required significant personal sacrifices. Ganatra often spends long periods away from his wife and two young children while focusing on expanding the business. Every goodbye is difficult, yet he remains driven by a larger purpose.
“I hope one day they’ll understand that I wasn’t just building restaurants. I was building a brand where the food speaks for itself.”
Guided by Values
Ganatra credits much of his outlook to the teachings of Lord Krishna , believing that honest actions and pure intentions naturally lead to meaningful success. Rather than chasing rapid expansion at any cost, he focuses on creating sustainable growth rooted in ethics. He believes the future of India’s food industry
depends not on opening more restaurants but on building greater responsibility.
“The food industry doesn’t need more restaurants. It needs more responsibility. It needs brands that prove freshness, quality, and ethics are not obstacles to growth — they are the foundation of it.”
Looking Ahead
As TheplaCo prepares for its next phase of expansion, the company is actively inviting franchise partners who believe in building businesses driven by trust, integrity, freshness, and long-term customer relationships. Ganatra envisions TheplaCo becoming a nationwide symbol of honest restaurant food while staying true to the principles that inspired its creation.
Because, in his words:
“Long after people forget our advertisements, they’ll remember one thing — how our food made them feel.”
With authenticity at its core and a commitment to serving food that families can trust, TheplaCo is not simply expanding its footprint — it is leading a movement to redefine what restaurant dining should look like in modern India.
