Dhabha Theme beach Side Restaurant at St Andrews Beach

St Andrew's Beach - Dhaba ( Biz Potential)

 Dhabas (roadside eateries) in North India typically serve tandoori roti or naan, some dhabas—especially those with a "home-style" appeal—do serve hot, puffed phulkas. 

Such a concept is yet to be introduced in Kerala - esp by the highway spots, or by the seaside or by the mountain pass or by the side of a backwater. 

Business Concept: Beachside Dhaba at St. Andrews, Trivandrum

Imagine a rustic, open-air dhaba setup right near the St. Andrews beach, with the sound of waves, salty breeze, and traditional cot-style seating (“khaatiya”) where guests can sit cross-legged and enjoy food with their hands.

Btw, this concept could be introduced in any beach spot - from Kovalam or Varkala Beach or Thiruvambadi Cherai Beach (Kochi), Bekal Beach (Kasaragod), Payyambalam Beach (Kannur)or be it Kappad Beach (Kozhikode), or Muzhappilangad Drive-in Beach (Kannur), Thottada Beach (Kannur)

📌 Location:

St. Andrews Beach, near the fishing villages—a peaceful stretch popular among locals and perfect for an experiential food spot. Morever, this beach is a hot spot of cafes, and food joints. The proximity with Technopark makes it a popular place for young people to hand-around during evening time.

Business Plan Outline

1. Concept & Experience

Theme: North-meets-South Indian beach dhaba.

Ambience: Bamboo thatched roofing, lantern lighting, wooden benches & khaatiyas, folk music, view of the sea.

USP: Beach + authentic dhaba food + phulka/tandoori + fresh seafood + local touch.

2. Menu Ideas

• Breads: Phulka (freshly puffed), Tandoori roti, Butter naan
• Veg Sides: Dal Fry, Aloo Bhaji, Baingan Bharta, Paneer Tikka Masala

Non-Veg Hits:

• Tandoori Chicken (served sizzling)
• Fish Tikka (using locally caught fish or sourced from Marianad fish market
• Prawn Masala, Chicken Curry, Beef Ularthiyathu (optional)
• Squid rings, crab roast, etc

Desserts and juice:

Slice of caramel cake, banana bread, gelato ice cream or locally made ice cream
Extras: Buttermilk, Lassi, Ghee rice, Egg bhurji

Buttermilk, Lassi, Ghee rice, Egg bhurji

3. Target Audience

• Weekend beachgoers
• College crowd and IT professionals (Kazhakuttam is 5 mins away)
• Families looking for rustic food experiences
• Tourists exploring nearby beaches or temples

Infrastructure & Setup

Space Required: Around 1200–1500 sq ft near beach (rented/open plot)

Setup:

• Outdoor seating with 6–8 khaatiyas and traditional benches ( cot with rope)
• Live cooking counter visible to customers
• Tandoor drum and phulka-making station
• Bamboo fencing, lanterns, and local decor for aesthetics
• Grill station or grill facility at each table. Also, concepts like Korean BBQ or Barbeque Nation. 
• Provide open-air leg massage ( Get women trained on leg massage on relaxing chair ( Additional revenue). Also, getting a leg massage while watching the beach would be an addon aspect 
  
  
• Provide clean - super clean loos and washbasin 
• Provide umbrella for customers to use ( When it rains or when its super hot)
• Keep one or two trampolines in the open space ( Some fun for guests or kids) 

 Strategy to Attract Customers

Opening Campaign:

• "Phulka by the Sea" – Free phulka tasting for first 50 guests
• Invite food vloggers from Trivandrum ( Well, these days vloggers will come if the restaurant has an USP)
• Run reels showcasing tandoori fish against sea backdrop

Marketing:

• Local Facebook/Instagram pages
• Collaborate with tour guides & beach resorts
• Online orders via Zomato/Swiggy (especially for IT crowd)
• Focus on quality of food and bring a local twist in the menu
• Get ideas from cafes run by the beach side - videos of cafes from other countries ( e.g cafes in Chiang Mai, Thailand's "coffee capital)

Seasonal Specials:

• Monsoon menu: Spicy fish curry + hot phulkas + Rasam shots + Chai  by the beach
• Winter nights: Charcoal tandoor specials

 Investment & Feasibility

• Initial Setup: ₹4–6 lakhs for kitchen, setup, seating, licenses
• Monthly Running: ₹80K – ₹1L (staff, raw material, rent)
• Breakeven: Estimated within 6–8 months if marketed well

Long-term Potential

• Add "sea-view dinner service" with fairy lights
• Extend menu with Kerala thali on weekends
• Mobile version of the dhaba for festivals or flea markets ( Olam )

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Btw, why did I say St Andrews Beach for this project:

1. St Andrews beach area, Kochu Veli beach side, Pallithura, etc have big potential owning to the proximity of Technopark, major IT center which houses tech offices. 

2.Already St Andrews beach side is gaining popularity as a cool handout place with new cafes along side of the beach 

3. My mother's family members and their clan are settled in this part of the town. So, I'm biased to this place and how well this idea will match with this place) 

4. Availability of land by the sea side and coupled with the proximity with Kazhakootam area. 

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Kerala’s 640 km coastline - Opportunity Knocks

Also, where are other beach locations in Kerala, which is suitable for this dhaba styled restaurant? Another offshoot of this idea is a restaurant, based on the Fat Fish theme restaurant in Goa! 


I had written another plan for St Andrews beach area. This is based on the potential of tapping the unique culinary skills of people from this area. Dishes like pork vindaloo, mappas, beef dishes, etc from the families who are from this area. 


Giving it Back! 

Every biz, from kutti ones to a mega chains has a moral responsibility to give back to the community, the locality in many ways. One way, creating employment is also one form of giving back concept. What if that's given more focus in these way by small to mid-sized biz?

• What can a local biz do and create a sense of community giving? 
• Why biz should do more than treating customers with good food?
• How can a biz stay relevant with the people around?

Here are many ways to find ways to find a larger purpose for any biz. Here are few community giving thing: I have written another blog post on this topic. Check it out!