Meal on Wheels!!

Shaukat Ali Qazi, who spent most of his life working as an accountant is better known today as a man who supplies home-cooked food to shopkeepers at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road and Arshi Shopping Mall in Azizabad.

While recalling history about his small business Qazi was well known as Shaukat bhai at that time; he said, “I still remember the incident that gave my wife this opportunity some ten years ago. My brother-in-law was given an opportunity to work at an office in Gul Plaza and was given the responsibility of arranging biryani for an office party once day. So he asked my wife to help him out, a task for which she was paid. The recipe was such a hit that the very next day orders for home-cooked meals started to pour in from his colleagues, followed by some from the shopkeepers in the vicinity”.    

At that time, Qazi a dual degree holder was content at his accountancy job. But since the popularity his wife Abida’s food accelerated rapidly, she succeeded in persuading her husband into helping her manage the orders. Soon after some period of time, the number of orders entertained per day went upto 50 which was difficult for her to manage alone, so she wanted her husband to accompany him in managing the orders and wanted him to leave his job. At that time, it was a difficult decision for Qazi to leave his job as he was afraid of the impression it would create about him being an educated professional but he managed to leave the job and started helping his wife.

Every morning, the couple started the preparation for the day at around five a.m., preparing food for approximately 200 people daily. The menu of the day varies from haleem to meat items, karahi to biryani, traditional daal chawal to vegetable dishes and many other food items were ordered by the customers during the six working days.  The delivery takes 30 mins and is free of cost. Many customers also demanded their food for their families. By a very short period of time, their business as home-cooked food flourished to a great extent and became a very good prosperous business for the family.  

The business which started through word-of-mouth is expanding with time making room for more customers with innovative ideas. "I do not mean to praise myself, but it is the truth that people like our food quality, said Shaukat with pride." They keep demanding that we want food only from Shaukat Bhai's place." This is no idle boast, the owner of a small school uniform shop at Arshi Shopping Mall, Asif Memon, humbly acknowledged that he is a regular customer of the couple like some other shopkeepers in the market. "The home-cooked food that we get for lunch is really appetizing and healthy", confessed Asif.

Meanwhile, the couple has planned to launch a small restaurant, with the same brand name as their delivery service, besides plans to expand their current business.