Hyderabad, which is known for biryani, haleem, mirchi bajji and Irani chai has a new contender in popularity: the shawarma. The credit largely goes to one man — Idris Khan Mohammed. He is an elusive man but the brand he has created —Mohammedia Shawarma — is everywhere in Hyderabad.
His food can be found across the city, in malls, on street corners, and restaurants. In the evening, he sits in a small cubicle reached by a fire-escape and watches the CCTV feed of his dozens outlets. “I start my day at 4 a.m. to supervise the arrival of meat from three chicken producers. I check the quality of all the ingredients to ensure that my outlets have the same quality, be it in Qadeer Bagh or DD Colony,” says Mr. Khan.
Beginning as a DTP operator in a financial firm, Mr. Khan dabbled in real estate until the 2009 Telangana agitation crushed his plans. Mr. Khan took the calculated risk of starting a small business. “I realised that shawarma as a snack requires very little investment. But it was available only in two or three places in the city. I decided I can do this business with a low investment.” He invested ₹80,000 in 2011 and started the business in the Qadeer Bagh area just beside the place where he has his office now.
