Karan Tanna, Founder & CEO, Ghost Kitchens India, said, ‘‘We are excited to have Chef Abhishek join us on our journey ahead. Over the next two years, we aim to establish a robust foundation, and the Chef brings with him the perfect blend of pedigree and experience to drive us towards achieving this goal. He is a great culture fit and will help us build a great team for operations.’’

Chef Abhishek has over 17 years of experience in the culinary sector and brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new role.  He has worked with some of the leading hotel chains. He began his journey at Jaypee Hotels and Oberoi Hotels, where he honed his culinary skills. He later worked at Pind Balluchi in Bengaluru and Pind Balluchi Bar & Grill in Singapore under F&B Asia Ventures Limited, Part of Everstone Capital group. His positions include Executive Chef at Farzi Cafe, Corporate Chef at Zaffran Restaurants, part of the Graviss Group, and Corporate Executive Chef at Box8 and Mojo Pizza. Chef Abhishek has also worked as a Corporate Chef at Food Service India, and prior to this new position, he was a Corporate Executive Chef at Cordelia Cruises.

In his new role, he will be leading a team of Cuisine Chefs to ensure customer delight, food quality, new product development, and high operational efficiencies.

Speaking on the appointment, Chef Abhishek Singh, said, ‘‘I am looking forward to collaborating with Ghost Kitchens India. This opportunity allows me to follow my passion for culinary creativity at a scale. I am excited to use my past learning of culinary experience as well as back-ending recipes to grow Ghost Kitchens and build one of the largest portfolio of brands that customers love.”

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The acquisition follows Ghost Kitchens’ successful fundraising round earlier in February 2024, where the company secured USD 5 million in equity and debt, showcasing its robust financial position and strategic foresight.

Established in 2018, Shy Tiger operates five multi-brand cloud kitchens across Ahmedabad, with an annual run rate (ARR) of INR 5 crores. Led by Director Milapsinh Jadeja, the company has built a strong portfolio featuring renowned brands such as KBOB’S and The Black Chimney. Ghost Kitchens’ acquisition of Shy Tiger Brands aims to consolidate its presence in Gujarat while integrating its existing brands into Shy Tiger’s infrastructure.

Commenting on the acquisition, Karan Tanna, Founder & CEO, Ghost Kitchens, said, “KBOB’s and The Black Chimney are 15-year-old brands in Ahmedabad. We saw this as an opportunity to scale these brands and expand our presence in the Gujarat market. Moreover, brand affinity and customer repeat ratio give us a strong position to build up a business. Apart from plugging our brands in their existing kitchens, we could improve their unit economics and get a substantial yield from each kitchen in the state.”

Earlier in 2022, Ghost Kitchens had acquired a technology company- WTF which helped them create their proprietary technology, allowing Ghost Kitchens to manage their end-to-end business and to make it more efficient to generate organic revenue, better customer experience, and higher profitability. In February 2023, Ghost Kitchens expanded its portfolio by acquiring Speak Burgers, a venture by celebrity Chef Vicky Ratnani, with plans to establish 25 offline retail stores in the next 18-24 months.

Milapsinh Jadeja, Director, Shy Tiger, expressed confidence in Ghost Kitchens’ business model, praising its use of technology to optimize operations. With Ghost Kitchens’ capabilities, processes, and tech stack, Shy Tiger’s portfolio brands have the potential for nationwide expansion.

Ghost Kitchens, founded in 2019, and operates over 15 company-owned and operated cloud kitchens in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, along with 1200 internet restaurants across 40 Indian cities. With its plans for growth, including launching celebrity brands and venturing into retail stores, the company aims to achieve an annual revenue of approximately 200 crores in the next 2 years.

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