When most cloud kitchens in India compete on discounts and aggressive offers, Varun Tripuraneni chose to build Shoyu differently.
Pepper pizzettes
The gourmet Pan Asian delivery brand entered a crowded market with a premium positioning strategy, a higher average order value and an emphasis on packaging, consistency and customer experience rather than discount-led growth.
“Whenever people think of cloud kitchens, the first thing they relate to is pricing and discounts,” says Tripuraneni. “But we felt there was a vacuum in the premium category, and that gave us the opportunity to experiment with the product and the experience.”
Truffle Asparagus Avocado Roll
That decision helped Shoyu carve out a niche in a segment where consumers were willing to pay more for quality and presentation. The brand’s average order value currently ranges between ₹1,200 and ₹1,500, giving it room to invest in elements that many delivery-first brands often overlook.
“When we launched Shoyu, our packaging became a talking point,” he says. “Being in that premium segment gave us the cushion to experiment and create a differentiated experience.”
Tripuraneni believes consumer perception around cloud kitchens has also evolved significantly over the last few years. While delivery-only brands were once associated with compromised hygiene and low operational standards, customers today are far more accepting of the format, especially when brands focus on consistency and trust.
“There has been a lot more emphasis on hygiene, not just from us but from several serious players in the industry,” he says.
What started in Hyderabad as an experiment to test the viability of a premium delivery-only Pan Asian brand has now expanded into multiple cities, including Bengaluru and Delhi. Along the way, the company has also changed the way it thinks about kitchen infrastructure and scalability.
Initially, Shoyu operated with larger central kitchens in Hyderabad. But expansion into bigger markets pushed the company toward a micro kitchen or satellite kitchen model.
“In cities like Bengaluru, Delhi and eventually Mumbai, it becomes difficult to operate only through large-format kitchens,” says Tripuraneni. “Rentals and operational costs are significantly higher, so we knew we had to build a model around smaller satellite kitchens.”
The company already has experience operating through a similar setup at Hyderabad airport, where Shoyu also runs its only dine-in format so far.
That operational flexibility has become important as the company expands into markets with different customer behaviours and consumption patterns.
Tripuraneni says each city behaves differently despite broad similarities in menu preferences. Hyderabad, for instance, has comparatively fewer premium Pan Asian delivery options than Bengaluru or Delhi, where competition across cuisines is far more intense.
“In Bengaluru and Delhi, there are many more options across every cuisine category,” he says. “So the challenge is not just about building awareness but adapting to how customers order and consume food in those cities.”
The brand has responded by introducing small menu variations based on local demand patterns. In Bengaluru, Shoyu introduced bowls targeted at office-going consumers and corporate-heavy neighbourhoods. Some regionally inspired dishes, such as Telangana chilli chicken in Hyderabad, have also emerged as strong performers.
At the same time, Tripuraneni says authenticity remains central to the brand.
“People travel a lot now. They know what sushi tastes like in Japan or how dishes are served elsewhere,” he says. “It is important not to over-localise or Indianise the food. The balance is what matters.”
One of the defining aspects of Shoyu’s business model is its close dependence on food aggregators such as Swiggy and Zomato. Nearly 95 percent of its orders come through these platforms.
Tripuraneni says the relationship with aggregators has evolved far beyond logistics and commissions.
“We pretty much deal with Swiggy and Zomato as our primary business partners,” he says. “What people often miss is the amount of market intelligence these platforms provide.”
According to him, data from aggregators now influences everything from location strategy and menu engineering to discount structures and expansion planning.
“They give us insights into cuisine performance, consumer behaviour, pricing patterns and even neighbourhood-level ordering trends,” he says. “That data plays a huge role in how we plan expansion.”
The company has also learned how higher-value positioning can help offset concerns around rising aggregator commissions.
“Once your average order value crosses a certain threshold, commissions become more manageable,” says Tripuraneni. “It is important to be very clear about who you are targeting.”
As Shoyu scales across cities, operational consistency remains one of its biggest priorities. The company currently operates kitchens in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Delhi, along with the Hyderabad airport outlet.
“We have customers who travel between cities and order Shoyu in different locations, and they tell us the taste remains consistent,” he says. “That is non-negotiable for us.”
The company has built backend operational systems and cross-city kitchen training to maintain that consistency even while scaling quickly.
Innovation, meanwhile, continues to play a key role in customer retention. Seasonal and limited-edition menus such as Mango Mania, Christmas specials and Thai-themed offerings have become part of the brand’s strategy to drive repeat orders.
“Since we do not have dine-in restaurants in the cities, we wanted customers to still experience the excitement of seasonal menus,” says Tripuraneni. “These menus also help us test dishes that may eventually move into the main menu.”
Looking ahead, the company plans to deepen its presence in Bengaluru and Delhi while entering newer markets such as Chennai. Despite repeated customer requests for dine-in outlets, Tripuraneni says the company remains focused on strengthening its delivery-first identity.
“We have always built Shoyu as a delivery-only brand,” he says. “Right now, the focus is on expanding the kitchens and growing the business further.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
