Shivam Soni moved to Indore to find some work to pay off his debt but found himself stuck in the lockdown. He slept on footpaths and starved for days when an idea of opening a restaurant for needy people helped him get his life back on track.
Indore: The pandemic took away Shivam Soni’s livelihood. Some days, he had to starve for two days in a row because of the shortage of food. He observed that there were thousands and thousands of other people who were suffering from the same plight as him.
Before the pandemic hit, Shivam used to work as a tiffin service provider in Sagar district. First few weeks of the lockdown were painful to survive but later he decided to continue with his work and opened a small restaurant with the name ‘Hunger Langar’.
Shivam’s aim was to provide food to people in need at the lowest rate possible. The prices of food items on his menu started at Rs 10 and did not exceed Rs 15 per plate.
Finding a ray of hope in the lockdown
Daily wage workers were left unemployed and uncared for. They depended on generous people to provide food to them. Shivam took this opportunity to be of help to some people. Even he did not have enough money to buy vegetables and other food items in bulk but he somehow managed to buy them and opened his restaurant.
Making it a success
The low prices on Shivam’s menu made people worry about the quality of the food he was providing. At first, they were full of doubt and hesitated to buy food. Some people even made fun of the prices.
To assure people that he was using good quality food items, he allowed people to inspect his pantries. The mocking of his restaurant made Shivam feel a little disappointed, but he was determined to win the trust of his customers.
For the first few months, he could not even earn a profit from his restaurant. which made him doubt if at all he had made the right decision of opening a restaurant with these prices on his menu.
It took a while, but Shivam could build the trust in his customers. His well-wishers spread a good word about him among others and then his Hunger Langar quickly picked up the pace.
Early life
After the completion of his schooling, Shivam Soni enrolled in B. Tech in Computer Science at Gyan Sagar College of Engineering. During that time, his father passed away and he needed to earn a living to support his family. He dropped out of the college to fulfil his responsibilities.
Shivam was aware that it was impossible to find a decent job without a degree in his hands, so he decided to start a tiffin delivery service. His business did not run well, and the debt on him doubled. He moved to Indore to find a living but was stuck in the lockdown.
Khichdi at Rs 5
Shivam has been able to pay off his debt with decent earnings from his restaurant Hunger Langar. He maintains hygiene and buys fresh groceries every morning. The items on his menu include some popular dishes from North and South India like Idli, Veg Biryani, Upma, Chole Bhature, Rajma Chawal and many more. The lowest priced item on his menu is Khichdi which sells at Rs 5 only.
Appreciation from Anand Mahindra
Shivam’s hard work was shared on social media by one of his customers. Mahindra’s chairman Anand Mahindra learned about Shivam’s restaurant. In appreciation of his work, he shared Shivam’s story on his social media accounts. People on internet found his work praiseworthy and congratulated him for his spirit.
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