Many professionals dream of leaving their high-paying corporate jobs to pursue a passion but only a few take the leap.
One former software engineer who worked at tech giants Google and Microsoft did exactly that. Despite earning nearly ₹4.2 crore annually in the technology industry, Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi decided to walk away from the corporate world and start a barbecue restaurant business in Texas.
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Years later, that decision has paid off. His restaurant venture now generates around ₹21.7 crore in annual revenue, turning what began as a risky career move into a thriving business. But what is surprising is that despite the high revenue, he has not paid himself a single dollar since opening and has been surviving on his savings.
Why he left a lucrative tech career
But things were not easy for him. Kafi took a pay cut of more than 50 per cent and joined a religious nonprofit after leaving San Francisco.
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Alongside the day job, Abdul-Kafi started hosting dinner parties and barbecuing for friends, who said they had not tried anything similar to his cooking style.
"That's when I started wondering whether there was room for something Texas barbecue didn't already have," Abdul-Kafi told Business Insider, adding: "Kafi BBQ opened in December 2024. We prepared enough barbecue to last three days, but we sold through all of it on the first day. We started cooking again that same night."
Explaining what motivated him to make the switch, he told Business Insider, "I now own 100% of my time."
Business made big gains over time
The Kafi BBQ quickly went viral and gained massive popularity across the state and country. Abdul-Kafi revealed that his restaurant was on track to hit Rs 37.8 crore ($4 million) in revenue this year.
"Last year, we generated just under Rs (21.7 crore) $2.3 million in revenue, and we're projected to reach up to (Rs 37.8 crore) $4 million this year. That said, I still haven't paid myself a single dollar since opening and have been living off of my savings," he said.
The reality of entrepreneurship: 80-hour workweeks
While many people imagine entrepreneurship as freedom from corporate life, the former engineer says the reality is far more demanding.
Speaking about the workload that comes with running his own business, he admitted, "I work about 80 hours a week."
The workload is significantly higher than what he experienced during his corporate career, highlighting the sacrifices often required to build a successful company. From managing day-to-day operations and employees to ensuring customer satisfaction, much of the responsibility rests on his shoulders.
The high cost of running that no one talks about
Despite the rise of Kafi's restaurant, he is optimistic about the future. He stated that the venture might have turned profitable, but they still had not paid off the initial investment, which cost around $1 million.
Abdul-Kafi highlighted the high cost of running the restaurant, noting that monthly expenses exceed $215,000. This includes $125,000 for food, $50,000 for labour, and $15,000 for rent, alongside thousands more spent on marketing and miscellaneous activities.
From coding to cooking: A career transformation
His journey reflects a growing trend among professionals who are choosing passion-driven careers over traditional corporate success.
The transition from software engineering to the restaurant industry required an entirely different skill set. Instead of writing code and managing technology projects, he had to focus on operations, customer service, supply chains, hiring, and business growth.
Despite the challenges, the venture has evolved into a multi-crore business, proving that unconventional career changes can sometimes lead to remarkable success. However, the former Google and Microsoft employee's journey offers an important lesson: a high salary does not always translate into career satisfaction.
