How Meghna Mathur Built The Maggi's Kitchen
By Meghna Mathur, Founder – The Maggi's Kitchen & Mong
"Food has the power to bring people together. My dream was to build a business that served not just meals, but comfort, trust, and memorable experiences."
Today, I proudly call myself a chef because I have the privilege of feeding people. I am the founder of The Maggi's Kitchen, a homegrown food brand based in Vasant Kunj, South Delhi, serving everything from wholesome everyday meals to curated party menus and corporate catering. Recently, I also launched Mong, a Pan-Asian cloud kitchen that reflects my passion for global flavours.
My entrepreneurial journey, however, began long before I started my first kitchen.
Growing Up with Food and Business Values
I grew up in a joint family as the eldest of four siblings. Food was always at the centre of every celebration. Festivals, birthdays, and family gatherings meant elaborate meals prepared together by my parents, who enjoyed cooking for everyone.
Watching them work side by side in the kitchen sparked my love for cooking, while my father's entrepreneurial mindset inspired me to think independently. Looking back, I realise I inherited both my passion for food and my instinct for business from my parents.
Those experiences shaped my belief that food is much more than nourishment—it creates memories, strengthens relationships, and brings people together.
From Content Writing to Entrepreneurship
After my marriage, I became part of another family that shared my love for food. My cooking skills continued to evolve, and so did my dream of building a food business.
In 2009, after my son started school, I began working as a freelance content writer. Although I enjoyed writing, the idea of starting my own food venture never left my mind.
Finally, in 2017, I decided to take the leap and launch my own home kitchen.
The Story Behind The Maggi's Kitchen
The name of my business has an interesting story.
My friends had always called me "Maggi" because of my naturally curly hair. I decided to embrace the nickname and build my brand around it.
Initially, many people assumed I only sold Maggi noodles. Instead, I wanted to establish The Maggi's Kitchen as a multi-cuisine home kitchen serving Indian, Chinese, Thai, Italian, and Continental food, all prepared with the freshness and warmth of home.
Starting wasn't easy.
Social media marketing was still evolving, so I promoted my business through local Yellow Pages advertisements. Orders came in slowly, mostly from working professionals looking for homemade thalis and simple, nutritious meals.
Every satisfied customer became my biggest ambassador, and word-of-mouth gradually helped the business grow.
Learning That Revenue Isn't Profit
After taking a short break later that year, I realised I needed greater visibility.
Like many food entrepreneurs, I turned to Zomato and Swiggy. In February 2018, The Maggi's Kitchen went live on both platforms, and the response was encouraging. Some days, we received as many as 40 to 45 orders.
However, I soon learned an important business lesson.
Platform commissions, advertisements, promotions, and service charges consumed a significant portion of the revenue. While order volumes increased, profitability remained limited.
That experience completely changed my perspective.
I realised that building a sustainable business was more important than chasing high order numbers. After a year, I shifted my focus to direct customer relationships through WhatsApp and local referrals—a decision that ultimately strengthened both my margins and customer loyalty.
When the Pandemic Became an Opportunity
Like every small business, COVID-19 initially brought uncertainty. Operations came to a complete halt during the lockdown.
But soon, everything changed.
Families needed safe, hygienic, homemade food because domestic cooks and maids were unavailable, and many people were hesitant to order from large food delivery platforms.
Residents in my housing society encouraged me to restart operations. Since my staff couldn't enter the premises, I decided to manage everything on my own.
I cooked every meal, packed every order, coordinated deliveries, and often delivered food personally to customers.
Those months were among the most demanding of my career, but they also became the turning point for my business.
Customers trusted me during one of the most difficult periods in their lives, and that trust became the strongest foundation of The Maggi's Kitchen. Many of the families who discovered us during COVID remain our regular customers even today.
By the end of the pandemic, The Maggi's Kitchen had become a trusted name across Vasant Kunj.
Scaling Beyond Home Deliveries
As life returned to normal, so did new opportunities.
We expanded from daily meals to catering family celebrations, private parties, and corporate events.
A major milestone came when we began serving one of the WeWork offices in Delhi, providing daily breakfasts, snacks, and lunches. What started as a single opportunity has grown into an ongoing partnership.
Another memorable experience came during Diwali when I worked as a personal chef for an esteemed family in Greater Kailash. Cooking live for guests and receiving instant feedback was immensely rewarding.
Our signature dishes, including Avocado Sev Puri and Pesto Canapés, received tremendous appreciation and reinforced our commitment to combining creativity with authentic flavours.
Launching a Second Brand
Entrepreneurship is a journey of continuous evolution.
Driven by my passion for Asian cuisine, I recently launched Mong, a Pan-Asian cloud kitchen specialising in sushi, dim sums, rice bowls, noodles, Asian curries, and contemporary comfort food.
The new venture allows us to reach a different audience while building on the operational foundation created by The Maggi's Kitchen.
Looking Ahead
Every phase of my entrepreneurial journey has taught me something valuable—from finding my first customers through local advertising, to understanding the economics of food delivery platforms, to building lasting customer relationships during the pandemic.
Today, my focus is on creating systems and processes that will allow The Maggi's Kitchen to scale while maintaining the consistency and quality that customers trust.
My long-term vision is to build a recognised food brand that stands for fresh, wholesome food, exceptional service, and genuine customer relationships.
Looking back, I realise that success wasn't built overnight. It was built one customer at a time, one meal at a time, and one promise kept at a time.
And that is exactly how I intend to keep growing.
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