Kolkata – the city of joy is also famous for another thing. The heart of ‘Bengalis’ lies in the food they eat. Taking cognizance of this, Biplab Basu started ‘Petuk’ which means someone who’s greedy for food. Petuk specializes in the preparation of Chinese and Tandoor delicacies. Petuk started in 2014 and has a restaurant at the exquisite locations of Hazra in Kolkata.
Biplab’s entrepreneurial journey has been really challenging. He is the first entrepreneur from a family where everyone except him is a doctor. Society had made it obvious for him to become a doctor instead of an entrepreneur. He was ridiculed for opening a food kiosk despite coming from a legacy of doctors. A Bachelor in Hospitality Management and an MBA in Marketing & HR, Biplab pursued his dream of bringing quality food to people relentlessly.
Within 4 months of operation, there was a fire outbreak in the restaurant and Biplab suffered huge losses. Biplab was at crossroads due to crunch of funds where he either had to pay the salary of his staff or begin the restaurant again with repairs. Followed by this incident, Biplab had to withstand major events such as demonetization and the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Biplab also launched ‘Petuk Caterers’ in 2019 which also suffered a setback due to the virus. However, Biplab with his grit and determination sustained all of this and is now building blocks again.
Petuk’s mission is to become a meaningful resource for the catering industry. All the professionals at Petuk are masters of their trade and everyone brings with them a unique set of expertise, adding value to the overall eating experience of the customers. To put it simply, Biplab knows what a food connoisseur anticipates and offers savouries that would satisfy the taste buds. Petuk aspires to provide impeccable dishes so that every customer resonates with the reliability and quality offered by the brand.
During his entrepreneurial journey, Biplab has received many accolades. He received the 45 Under 45 (Indian Edition) 2022 Award from WBR CORP UK Ltd. He was also awarded by The Bengal Pride Awards organised by Eventbox in association with Brajvandana Foundation, UNICEF. The International Chamber of Commerce awarded him as the ‘Best Emerging Entrepreneur 2021 Award’ in the hotel industry for building a successful business amidst the challenges posed by the COVID19-induced pandemic. Biplab has also been identified as the ‘Most Influential Young Leader 2021 – 2022’ by Asia One Magazine.
Petuk offers people an enriching experience wherein the staff makes the visitors feel at home. It also boasts of a kitchen that maintains high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. The quality of the food coupled with the service offered makes it a must-visit place in Kolkata. Petuk lives by its tagline which says ‘When food is your religion’ and ensures it offers the best to the patrons.
“We started off by customizing ourselves a Momo platter, which had a mix of 2 Chicken Steamed Momos, 2 Chicken Fried Momos and 2 Chicken Pan Fried Momos. The Steamed Momos were some of the bests in town, and so were the Pan Fried Momos. The sauce was what made the most difference, apart from the taste and flavourful filling inside. Next to come were Fish Fry, Crispy Chicken and Pan-Fried Fish in Chilli Mustard Sauce. Fish Fry and Fish Finger is definitely what PETUK is known for, and rightfully so, the Fish Fry was finger licking good, retaining the quality and quantity set by its Hazra counterpart”, says Agnes Rozario, a patron of the restaurant.
Biplab envisions to gather investors at national and international Level in order the expand from the existing outlets to other outlets. “Success doesn’t come over night. People think that people get success over night. But there are years of hard work which people didn’t see. So be patient, calm, work hard and keep trying after repeated failures then only success would come”, concludes the founder of Petuk.
