The ThickShake Factory is a young enterprise that specializes in ice-cream-based shakes in a number of quirky flavours. Established in 2013 by a gifted duo of brothers, the brand has grown exponentially and currently has 81 outlets across the country including an outlet in California, USA. Co-Founders Yeshwanth and Ashwin Nag Mocherla speak to Food Service India about The ThickShake Factory unique customer proposition and upcoming expansion plans.

The ThickShake Factory has been a pioneer in the concept of specialty retailing of dairy-based shakes. Our menu offerings satiate a consumer’s thirst for heavenly shakes with a dollop of Ice-cream. Established in 2013 at Hyderabad with a single store bootstrapped with a personal loan, the brand has steadily grown to 81 stores across the country. We are operational in 15 Indian cities and also function in California, USA. ThickShake has been recognized as one of the fastest growing QSR chains in India. It has been a fun-filled and exciting ride and we have seen a number of ups and downs. The brand was carved out of our passion for desserts. We were inspired by the global trend of sweet savories and brought the most appealing range of delicious beverages to India.

Which are your best-selling products and what have been your key innovations in food and beverage?-

The ThickShake Factory has actively changed the way the Indian population consumes cold beverages. We serve a concoction that constitutes ice-cream and only some milk, and have created a unique retailing category that is everything but conventional. The brand experiments with a number of chocolate and fruit based flavours not only in the form of shakes but also cold coffee variations, ice teas and slushes. Our menu includes eight base flavours and more than 50 additional ingredients and toppings. We also plan on introducing sugar-free shakes and organic flavours very soon. With a multitude of different bases and a ton of toppings, the Shape your Shake concept is a favorite among our consumers. It is always more exciting to create a specialized version of the product for consumers with specific preferences. Popular additions to the menu include Belgian chocolate, spicy chocolate and silky chocolate.

What is your value-for-money proposition for diners and which are your key customer demographics?

A wholesome product like ours can effectively replace an evening snack or even a light lunch. That is our key proposition and differentiating factor. Our shakes are easy on the pocket but also comfortably filling. The primary target group is school/ college students from ages 15 to 25. The secondary target group is working professionals from ages 25 to 35.

Which are the markets you are looking to expand into and what is the current average footfall at your stores?

We have signed up to open more than 115 outlets and are on a major expansion drive. Key target markets include Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune and the western region. Being the first Indian beverage chain to open a store in California, USA, we want to strengthen our international presence. International expansion plans involve markets such as Maldives, Dubai, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

We currently sell 7500 shakes every day. That’s over 10 shakes a minute!

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