They started selling lamb curry out of a Diary shop in Dunedin. Thirty-five years later, Little India is one of New Zealand's most-loved restaurant brands.
In this Marketing 4 Business episode, Scott chats with Sukhi and Joanna, co-founders of Little India, about what it really takes to build a hospitality brand people return to for generations - from a tiny dairy in Ravensbourne to a franchise network that has changed the lives of staff, families, and loyal customers across New Zealand. This is one of those conversations where you keep pulling out the notepad. Sukhi and Joanna share lessons you can put to work straight away, including:
• How listening to customer feedback saved the business
• The rule they have never broken: no fusion, no shortcuts, the same food every time - and why a confused menu is a losing one
• How the franchise started not from a strategy document, but a determination to keep their best people
• Why they financed their own staff into franchise ownership - and what happened to the business once those people had skin in the game
• The charcoal tandoor Sukhi had custom-made by a potter in Cromwell because there was no other way to get the flavour right
• What Sukhi learned about hospitality from a woman who spent 15 minutes buying one loaf of bread - and why there was no profit in rushing her
• The moment Sukhi rang his old boss to ask for his accounting job back - and what happened when the answer was no
• Why Scott observes that successful business owners do the hard things - even when a shortcut is available
• What 17 employees, 7 grandchildren, and 35 years of cooking finally adds up toIf you're a business owner trying to build a brand people trust, grow a team with genuine skin in the game, or figure out how to hold your standard for the long haul, this episode is well worth your time.
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