Eating Healthy with Big Fit Bowl

How many times have we thought of preparing a healthy meal but always give time and work as an excuse in doing so? Today, we live in a fast-paced world, with us being on the go, every minute of the day. Food is of course our basic amenity for survival. Living in a competitive world, we tend to go for the easier option of readily available junk food. Hence, modern-day individuals are known to have a lot more health complications, due to their unhealthy food habits and lack of exercise.

Goa lacks a variety of options in cafes and restaurants serving healthy foods as compared to other metropolitans. Rinton hopes to make a change in the state of Goa by providing healthy food supplements that reenergize the immune system in our body. Rinton quickly realized that people do not have time to prepare a healthy meal due to their work commitments and above all, there didn’t exist a cafe or restaurant serving healthy options in Panjim. Anyone can whip up a salad within minutes. But to find meals with the right nutrients in Panjim, was like finding a needle in a haystack. After the launch of Big Fit Bowl, Rinton did face a lot of difficulties due to the pandemic, but his entrepreneurial drive pushed him to adapt. Big Fit Bowl soon became a commonly known name and the go-to place for all the fitness enthusiasts.

Big Fit Bowl is located in the heart of Goa, Panjim. Customers get to enjoy unparalleled healthy food amidst a cozy café atmosphere. Yes! They have take out and do deliver as well. At Goan Insider, we spoke to Rinton on how he successfully set up his dream café, Big Fit Bowl. The excerpts of our conversation are below.

How did the idea for ‘Big Fit Bowl’ come about?

I have always enjoyed eating healthy and I am a big fan of nearly all kind of vegetables. During my brief period of 3 years in Dubai, I had ample of opportunities to try a lot of healthy eating options which Goa, specifically Panjim was lacking. Hence, few years back I had this idea in mind of starting something for everyone. 

What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?

When it came to healthy eating, we in goa didn’t have a lot of options. Our regular salads and subway was the only choice. This really got me fed up and pushed me to turn my idea into reality. I took a lot of time working on this, every dish on my menu was tried over and over with a lot of suggestions from friends and family. I myself hit the gym quite often and always wanted a place for some whole food and not salads. Every time I typed “healthy foods” on food apps, nothing much would show. Besides, most of the places use tons of oil in the cooking process which I can’t stand. Hence, I used to cook my own meal, and of course, prepping everything myself. 

How did you come up with the name for your company?

Like everything else, even finding the perfect name took a while. I had to brainstorm a name that is apt for my cafe. I did all my research and finally came to one name ‘Big Fit Bowl’, after a lot of other ones as well. But this one says what it says.

You started your cafe around the same time Covid-19 hit India. How did this impact your business and what were the challenges you faced? How is the situation now?

I started work on my café in 2019. The process was slow as I was busy with my other profession. I did have a lot of running around to be done in order to get the licenses and complete all other formalities to set up my café. U Unfortunately, when I was ready to open in March 2020, the lockdown came into effect just a day or two before the opening. The timing has been and I incurred a major loss. This got me stressed out and I was worried as to how I would recover all the money I put in. Of course, I had to keep in mind about paying rent at the same time. In May 2020, I started making the meals from my home kitchen and took pre-orders. I delivered the orders myself, in and around Panjim. By July 2020, I finally opened the doors to my café. It’s been a really slow process, and we have been surviving mainly due to delivery apps. They charge us quite a bit as well but we can’t help it with the current situation at hand. We do get a few walk-ins and I still do home deliveries myself. Just hope we pick up the pace soon.

How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful?

With the current pandemic situation, the only way to market the business was through social media and word of mouth. Delivery apps also contribute a fair bit. What really helped me a lot was the support I received from family and friends. They always had my back no matter what.

How do you build a successful customer base?

We keep asking feedback from our customers whenever we can. We have a lot of loyal customers who enjoy our meals. We also do take up their suggestions whenever we can and try to make them a part of our journey.

Could you give us a quick run through the products/ food items that you sell at the cafe?

All our meals are cooked freshly for each order; we don’t pre cook anything. We use very little oil in our cooking which a lot of people are looking for. We use only canola or olive oil in our meals. We have a little for everyone, beef, chicken, prawns, veg/ vegan as well. We recently also added a Goan section to our menu, where again we made sure it’s cooked well for a healthy lifestyle. All our meals come with an option of either brown rice or quinoa of your choice. We also do weekly meal plans where people order a week in advance and we prepare whatever they desire from our menu and deliver it at their specific time. And yes, we have a lot more exciting things coming up as well. But in due time.

What was your mission at the outset?

My aim was to make healthy eating a lot more fun, tastier and with a lot more variety than just your regular salad. I probably was the first in Panjim to serve quinoa, which quite a few people don’t know the health benefits of. But yes, slowly I will make sure Panjim knows where to get its healthy meal from. Most of the items on my menu are very different from any place you find, in Panjim at least. My aim and goal is to be different and if possible to stand out.

Where is your business based out of? Why do you think that is the best place for you?

My café is based in Panjim, which is centrally located. This helps me in providing food for the working-class people as well. We have a lot of offices around Panjim, which is a plus point.

What gets you excited about ‘Big Fit Bowl’?

Making each meal every day just as I would do for myself gives me a lot of happiness. Educating people about my concept also gets me really excited.

As an entrepreneur, what are you paranoid about? What keeps you awake at night?

To be honest I am not paranoid about anything. As I mentioned earlier, I want to do things differently and stand out. So I always have a solution or an idea for everything and I know that I will get it done in due time.

What motivates you?

I really don’t pay attention to what anyone else is doing, and just try to make a difference from my end. From time to time a healthy competition helps as well by just giving me a nudge. Making healthy meals and serving to like-minded people is all the motivation I need. 

How hard is it to have a work-life balance while running a business and how do you manage it?

Until my other job resumes, I have a pretty tight schedule on a regular basis. Once I start Djing again, I will have to make some adjustments. Currently, I wake up by 6.30 am, get some workout done myself, freshen up, and eat breakfast. I do a quick run for groceries and then at about 10 am I am at the cafe till about 8 pm. After getting home I spend some time with my family. This cycle continuous throughout the week. On weekends I chill with the family or else think of what new I could introduce on my menu or how to better myself and the cafe.

What is next for ‘Big Fit Bowl’? Any plans of expanding out of Goa? 

It’s one dream at a time for me I have been asked if I would like to expand out of Goa. But I’m not too sure about that yet. But definitely, I would want to expand in my beloved state first.

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