Lockdown made Mahesh Arolkar change tracks on Karaoke and rediscover his culinary skills

Forced to reverse migrate to his native Sawantwadi city after last year’s lockdown, Mahesh Arolkar made his professional switch a success with his new culinary venture “Arolkar Mess” a cuisine delight for all.

By Prajakta Chavan

@prajakta43

Mumbai: A proud owner of the Arolkar mess today in the heart of Sawantwadi city, Mahesh Arolkar started the tiffin service business venture about 10 months back, as his Karaoke shows were abruptly cancelled in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. An Orchestra owner and singer by profession 58-year-old Arolkar was disappointed as his only source of income was suddenly halted. 

“I have toured over 14 countries and held musical shows across Maharashtra, but this pandemic changed everything. Some of my colleagues lost their lives due to the tension. This is an absolutely difficult time for artists. But I decided to fight back with help of friends and family,” said Arolkar, who has set an example of successful reverse migration. 

A humble start of the Arolkar mess took place in July 2020, with an initial investment of Rs1.6lakh a financial aid raised with help of family and friends. “Initially I started with about 20 tiffin but gradually touched 70 tiffin per day, but now again the business has reduced due to the lockdown. However, this April I am hopeful and ambitious to expand my business, while the corresponding period last year I was full of disappointment and dejection,” amused Arolkar said with a smile.

In less than a year, Arolkar mess has built its dedicated customer base among students, tourists, senior citizens, and patients by serving them food of their choice. “We have largely used online options like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram to reach out to people. But yes, word-of-mouth has played a major role. Now we get calls from visitors who book the tiffin in advance over the phone,” added Arolkar.

Ordinarily a Thane resident, Arolkar is looking forward to building small huts in 7 Gunthas (7,000sq ft) of family land located right in the centre of Sawantwadi city. “Presently I have one shade I am planning to construct such 6-7 shades where people can dine in small groups. This is a long-term plan, for now, my focus is only growing the tiffin service, as the restaurant industry is also going through slack,” said Arolkar who chose to retrace his roots back to Sawantwadi and script his success story in midst of a financial slowdown.