How She Built a $320,000 street food business
Entrepreneurship
India
26 Years
I’m Sapna Saini, the founder of Fusion Story, a fast-growing QSR brand that brings fusion flavors to Indian street food. I started my career in marketing and worked my way up to becoming the Marketing Head of a leading burger chain in Delhi. However, I always wanted to build something of my own, so I took the plunge into entrepreneurship with just ₹17,000.
Today, Fusion Story has four locations and generates ₹2.8 crore in annual revenue. We’re currently working on expanding further, with plans to open more stores by the end of the year. My vision is to make Fusion Story a go-to brand in the Indian fast-casual dining scene, offering unique, high-quality, and affordable fusion food.
I also run a social media agency, Media Grow, where I help brands in the food and lifestyle sector build their online presence.
I was 26 years old when I started Fusion Story.
“No investors. No fancy kitchen. Just yummy food, great branding, and a lot of hustle."
What inspired you to start your own business?
I’ve always been passionate about food, flavors, and how branding influences consumer choices. While working in marketing, I observed gaps in the QSR market—people wanted affordable yet exciting food experiences. That’s when the idea of Fusion Story was born.
One moment that solidified my decision was when I analyzed the market while working my last job and realized that many people aspire to start their own food businesses but lack the knowledge or confidence. This inspired me to not only launch Fusion Story but also create a franchise model that enables others to succeed in the food industry.
How did you turn your idea into a business?
The journey started on the streets, quite literally. My brother and I invested ₹17,000 and set up our first stall. We focused on viral, unique products like Pataka and Dhamaka momos, ensuring we grabbed attention.
Key milestones:
• Early Days: We perfected our menu by testing flavors and gathering customer feedback.
• Growth Phase: Our focus on quality, affordability, and unique fusion flavors helped us grow organically.
• Expansion: We reinvested profits, scaled up, and now operate four locations.
How did you get your customers?
Our growth strategy was a mix of offline and online marketing:
• Word of mouth: Our unique flavors created buzz and got people talking.
• Social media marketing: We leveraged Instagram and reels to go viral.
• Launch offers & events: For example, we recently launched a new location with a 100-free-momos giveaway, which drove massive footfall.
• Location strategy: We carefully choose spots with high foot traffic.
• Repeat customers: Our signature dishes like Pataka/Dhamaka momos and crispy chicken keep people coming back.
Short-term goal: Open more locations.
Long-term goal: Build Fusion Story into a nationwide QSR brand with franchise opportunities.
How are you funding your startup?
Fusion Story is 100% bootstrapped. Every store has been funded through reinvested profits.
What is your average monthly revenue?
Currently, Fusion Story generates ₹2.8 crore ($325,000) annually, which means around ₹23 lakh ($27,000) per month.
How are you doing today and what plans for the future?
What’s working for us?
• Unique fusion menu items that stand out.
• Social media marketing and viral reels.
• Expansion through a self-sustaining model.
Some of our challenges and missed opportunities are scaling while maintaining quality and finding reliable manpower.
Some of the good decisions we have made are, creating high-margin products like tossed fried momos and crispy chicken and leveraging social media early on.
The rising trend of street food fusion and Delhi’s love for spicy, innovative food are factors that helped our growth.
Our future plans are to expand to more locations and refine our franchise model.
What advice would you give to budding founders?
• Start small, but start smart. Test your idea with minimal investment.
• Understand your customers. Market demand is everything.
• Social media is your best friend. Even a food business needs strong branding.
Are you currently hiring?
Yes, we’re always looking for kitchen staff, store managers, and marketing interns. Positions are in-person (Delhi NCR).
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned about entrepreneurship?
That hard work doesn’t guarantee success—but adaptability does. You need to keep evolving based on market trends, customer feedback, and operational challenges.
What role has your family or support system played in your entrepreneurial journey?
My brother is my biggest support system, and we built this together. The rest of my family wasn’t initially convinced, but our success proved them wrong.
Where can we find you?
Podcast Recommendations
-
My First Million
-
The Diary of a CEO
