The 40 ventures collectively represented a culinary map that covered:
- Indian Food & Traditions: North to south and from east to west, many dishes were there in the stalls. Stalls led by students had Hyderabadi biryani, Gujarati dhokla, Rajasthani cuisine, litti chokha from Bihar, the South’s punugulu and dosa, Maharashtra’s vada pav, and Northeastern dishes as well.
- Beyond Borders: Japanese teppanyaki (Tokyo Teppan), Mexican tacos and burritos, Korean dimsums, and Indo-Chinese cuisine found a spot at the event.
- Treat the Sweet Tooth: cheesecake, pastries (Darshan Home Bakers), chocolate-coated strawberries (Straw n Choco), kulfi (Balaji Kulfiwale), Goa-style ice dishes (Milan Ice Dish)
- Hot-Cold Beverages: fresh natural juices (Juic D), traditional Shikanji, coconut water (Nariyal Anna), mocktails and bubble drinks (Crazy Indian), cold coffee and Falooda (Om Sai)
- Healthy options: fresh fruit chaat (Fruitaria, Route Fruit), Aam Panna, seasonal produce
What Students Learn by Running These Ventures
Operating a food venture at this scale develops skills that are directly transferable to professional hospitality, entrepreneurship, and management careers:
- Master Food Business: Gain direct experience in menu engineering, calculating cost-to-market pricing, and managing inventory cycles to avoid shortages.
- Under Pressure Work: Develop resilience by managing long queues and maintaining quality standards during rush hours while coordinating multi-functional teams.
- Finance and Market: Understand the full ownership of a brand’s visual identity and marketing while managing real revenue, calculating profit margins, and tracking expenses.
- Ignite Your Ideas: See how theory meets practice, much like the PIT students who used PIERC’s insights on the Mr Puff model to launch their own venture.
- Find a Way in Real-World Hurdles: Learn to pivot through crisis management, from equipment failures to sudden demand spikes, using innovation and customization to stay ahead.
Two B.Tech students at PIT drew their venture concept directly from a PIERC (Parul Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research Centre) session on the Mr Puff business model. This connection between the university’s startup incubation ecosystem and on-ground food operations demonstrates how entrepreneurial thinking flows from the classroom to execution.
Cross-Faculty Participation
The fact that B.Tech, BHMS, Pharmacy, and other non-hospitality students participate alongside hotel management students is significant. A first-year B.Tech student running a pasta and burger venture learns the same customer service, pricing, and operations skills that a hotel management student does. A second-year BHMS student operating a dessert venture develops the same marketing and team management skills that an MBA student would. The festival creates an environment where every student, regardless of their programme, can develop business and operational competencies through direct execution.
Different Stream Students Participated
What makes these ventures distinctive is that they are not limited to hotel management students. Students from across faculties participate:
- Dessert Land: operated by Neel Lad and Yug Patel, second-year BHMS students. Menu included Lotus Biscoff Cups, Nutella Cups, Oreo Cups, cupcakes, tiramisu balls, and donuts
- The Snack Shack: operated by Anant Jain, first-year B.Tech student at PIET. Served white sauce pasta, burgers, and snacks
- Shikanji Shala: operated by a second-year Pharmacy student. Served lemon soda, lemonade, Kachi Keri Sharbat, and traditional drinks
- Mr Chaat: operated by two B.Tech students from PIT, directly inspired by a PIERC entrepreneurship session on the Mr Puff business model. Served Pani Puri, Sev Puri, and Mixed Chaat
- Juic D: operated by Raghav Dhuj and Dhaivat Vacharaj. Served 100% natural juices with no preservatives, including specialty blends Jivan Amrut and Bhudia Special, with Kutch-inspired flavours
- Bezawada Punugulu Adda: operated by Anil Kumar Vadiga, a faculty member at PIET, bringing authentic South Indian cuisine (Punugulu, Uttapam, Vada, Mirchi Bajji)
FAQ
Do students run real food businesses at Parul University?
Yes. During the Vadodara Food Festival, 40 student-run restaurant operations are set up on the PID Ground. Students from B.Tech, BHMS, Pharmacy, and Hotel Management design menus, set prices, manage inventory, serve customers, and operate under real financial and operational conditions.
What skills do students develop?
Menu planning, pricing strategy, inventory management, customer service, team coordination, marketing, branding, financial management, crisis management, and innovation. Two B.Tech students applied a PIERC startup model directly to their food venture.
