Journey to Conçu: From an engineering background to co-founding Conçu, can you walk us through your transformative journey and what inspired you to delve into the world of desserts and patisseries?
From its inception as a quaint, cosy cake boutique set up in Hyderabad to expand into multiple locations and now branching out to a new city, Conçu’s journey has been a labour of love, reflecting passion and perfection at its core. With over a decade of expertise in perfecting our menu, service, and ambience, we remain steadfast in our pursuit to infuse each morsel with a grade of refinement that elevates Conçu beyond a brand to a truly unparalleled experience.
European Influence: What was the driving force behind introducing European desserts to Hyderabad, and how do you believe it has changed the desert landscape in the city?
While residing in England, we grew to truly cherish our holidays within the UK and across mainland Europe. The most memorable aspect of these trips was unquestionably the joy of exploring new cafes, chocolateries, and patisserie. When we returned home, we yearned for that same delightful experience. Recognizing an untapped niche in the market, we believed that the timing was perfect, especially considering the growing global popularity of macarons and Choux pastries. It was this vision that led to the establishment of Conçu over a decade ago. Conçu was the first to bring the authentic European dessert experience to Hyderabad, a city that until 2012 was primarily exposed to American-style cakes and desserts and coffee/ cafe culture was limited to chains such as Coffee Day and Barista.
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Challenges and Triumphs: Every entrepreneurial journey comes with its set of challenges. Can you share some of the hurdles you faced while establishing Conçu and how you overcame them?
Our primary obstacle revolved around obtaining fresh produce and high-quality imported ingredients like cocoa, chocolate, high-quality flour, and French butter. Back then, acquiring such ingredients in India, particularly in Hyderabad, was a significant challenge. What was accessible either came at exorbitant prices or faced inconsistencies in supply. As we embarked on this journey, we also encountered difficulties in recruiting the right personnel who shared our vision for the brand. However, as time passed, we learned to effectively address both of these issues. Now, with 10 stores under our belt, our procurement volumes have substantially increased. This has allowed our suppliers to source products exclusively for us at competitive rates. In terms of staffing, we dedicated considerable effort to training our core team, none of whom had prior hospitality experience, to comprehend our vision and establish the foundations of the Conçu culture.
Collaborative Dynamics: Working closely with your husband, Chef Sahil Taneja, how do you balance your individual expertise to create a harmonious and successful business model?
Sahil explains, “Each of us has our own strengths. I look after the kitchen operations, business development and finances while Swati takes care of branding, front-end and all things creative.” Swati adds, “It is no cakewalk working together. There are, of course, differences in opinion and other challenges. But then, we realised that individually we are good at different things and that makes us successful as a team as our roles are clearly demarcated.”
Expansion to Bengaluru: What prompted the decision to expand Conçu’s presence to Bengaluru, and how has the reception been so far in the city?
Establishing our presence in Bangalore was an obvious choice. This city holds a special place in our hearts, given our abundance of family and friends here, and it’s a place we’ve cherished since our childhood. Beyond our personal connections, Bangalore is a fantastic market characterised by a discerning customer base that is well-versed in global culinary offerings. Moreover, one of the key reasons we chose to launch in this city was due to logistical considerations. It served as an ideal location for us to pilot our expansion strategy, address the challenges of supply through our central kitchen model, and resolve any issues before venturing into other cities. The response in Bangalore has been overwhelmingly positive. We are super grateful to have received so much love in such a short duration of time.
European Café Culture in India: How do you see the European café culture influencing the culinary scene in India, and what unique aspects does Conçu bring to this evolving trend?
I’ve observed the European cafe culture specifically is making a significant impact on our culinary scene. People want to come to a cafe to not just work but also spend time with family and friends, have conversations, read a book with some hot chocolate – all in line with the cafe culture you can find in Europe. With Conçu, we wanted to be the first movers with this trend, by creating an authentic European cafe ambience furnished with soft lighting, large windows, muted colours, some art and greenery inside the cafe. We’re also involved in evolving cafe culture in India, by offering a taste of Europe to our patrons through our dessert and food selections.
Future Aspirations: With Conçu’s rapid growth and expansion, what are your future plans for the brand? Are there any new cities or international markets on the horizon?
In the next couple of years, we hope to expand to other cities in the south and west such as Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Chennai.
Lastly, as a visionary and entrepreneur, what personal values and philosophies do you infuse into Conçu, ensuring it remains a brand close to your heart and resonates with patrons?
Mirrored in our identity of an infinity heart is our ardour for the craft, for Conçu as a brand, for creating desserts interlaced with fine technique and a passion that elevates them from just an indulgence to the likes of an art form.
