It’s called Keik Tupiou (the ‘p’ is pronounced as ‘row’) which in Greek means cheesecake and that’s exactly what this home baking business run by engineer turned entrepreneur, Shradha Rungta, is all about.
A computer science engineer, following her graduation, Shradha worked as an associate consultant with Oracle and as a senior business analyst with Mu-Sigma, where she discovered analytics was her second love after Keik Tupiou.
Speaking of how she got started, Shradha says: “Keik Tupiou came into existence roughly a year and a half ago when I realised that baking was my stress buster in my 15 hour job schedule! I was shuffling between taking orders and working as a business analyst. This helped me judge if I wanted to pursue my passion or work in a corporate setup. The former won hands down.”
Home run baking businesses are a dime a dozen so being unique is important. “What makes KT different is we have never said ‘no’ to a customer even if it means executing with a turnaround of four hours. We’re constantly innovating and bring in variations of cheesecakes (wasabi cheesecake and waffle cheesecake being the recent ones) as well as do other cakes and baked goods.” Midnight delivery is another feather in KT’s hat. “We’re the first of this kind in Bangalore to bring in birthdays at 12 O’ Clock.”
Ask her why she chose to specialise in cheesecake and she responds: “While Bangalore had many dessert places, it was devoid of a cheesecake-centric venture. That’s when I decided to start Keik Tupiou with 40 different flavours!”
Apart from cheesecake with flavours such as kiwi, cappuccino and peppermint, Shradha also makes themed cakes. This range includes regular moist cakes, sugar free, eggless cakes for occasions such as weddings, baby showers and corporate gatherings. Since, her only form of advertising is through her Facebook page, customers usually email or call her for orders. Cheesecakes range from Rs. 1,200 to Rs. 2,300 for a kilogram.
As Shradha had no formal training in baking, she says: “The nascent days of the venture featured a single-woman army with dessert trials, packaging, delivery cycles and setting the process in place.”
Of her experience so far, Shradha states: “It has been a great learning experience for us. The first few delivery blunders have only helped us have a precise on-the-dot delivery system. The few negative reviews we have received, we have taken them in the right spirit and taken corrective measures. Representing KT at exhibitions has always been a herculean task with all-night baking. It’s only the love for running my venture that has made the difficult easy and the easy enjoyable!”
Shradha is in a happy place now. “After establishing ourselves as a cheesecake brand, we are now venturing into being a service that helps you send your wishes to family and friends across India. Most of our clients are Indians away from home who are able to send wishes back home on those special days when they aren’t around. Next steps include venturing into holding workshops in other cities and having our own store space soon.”
Keik Tupiou is located at No.598, 1st main, 15th cross, HSR Sector, Bangalore 560102 and can be contacted on 9886073139. For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/Cake Tupiou
This column features those who choose to veer off the beaten track.
