Attributed to Mr. Pankaj Sharma, Director at Sandwizza
1. What inspired you to start Sandwizzaa?
● Sandwizzaa was started by my father, Om Prakash Sharma, with a simple thought:
people should be able to enjoy a tasty, hygienic and satisfying vegetarian snack without
it feeling like a compromise.
In 1986, the organised quick-service food space was very different from what it is today.
There were fewer familiar brands, fewer formats and no delivery ecosystem. What
worked for us was staying focused on a product people genuinely enjoyed and wanted
to come back for.
Over time, a sandwich became more than just a quick bite. It became something people
associated with a small break, a college memory, an evening outing or a familiar comfort
food experience. That connection has stayed with us.
2. What were the challenges you faced in starting and promoting the brand?
● The early years were built largely through word of mouth. There was no social media, no
food delivery platform and no digital advertising to create quick visibility. Every
customer experience mattered because one happy customer could bring in many more.
The bigger challenge was consistency. It is relatively easy to make one good sandwich.
Building a business where the same taste, hygiene and service are delivered every day is
much harder.
As we grew, the challenge changed from getting noticed to ensuring that the customer
experience did not become diluted. We have had to keep improving our systems,
training and processes without losing the warmth that made people connect with the
brand in the first place.
3. Did being a vegetarian brand help you or pose challenges?
● Being a vegetarian brand has helped us because it has given Sandwizzaa a very clear
identity from day one. We have never treated vegetarian food as a restricted category.
For us, it has always been a space with enormous variety and potential.
The challenge is that people often assume vegetarian food has limited possibilities. That
only pushes us to keep innovating with flavours, textures, fillings, beverages and
formats.
Our focus has been to make food that is satisfying, indulgent and memorable, whether
someone is visiting for a classic grilled sandwich, a toast, fries or a beverage. Being pure
vegetarian has allowed us to build strong trust with a large and loyal customer base.
4. What are the distinctive aspects of your chain vis-à-vis other QSR brands?
● Our biggest distinction is that Sandwizzaa has been built over four decades through
repeat customers, not through rapid expansion alone.
We are a pure vegetarian brand with a strong Mumbai connect, but our approach has
always been to remain relevant to changing consumer behaviour. The menu has
evolved, formats have evolved and the business has become more structured, while the
core product experience has remained familiar.
The chutneys, flavours, grills and the overall experience have become part of the
brand’s identity. At the same time, we are very focused on standardisation because
customers should not feel a difference in taste or quality across outlets.
5. How did you develop the menu and which are your signature items? What are your hot-
sellers?
● Our menu has evolved by closely observing what customers enjoy, reorder and come
back for. We have always believed that a menu should not become complicated just for
the sake of looking extensive. Every product has to earn its place.
The Veg Cheese Grill has been one of our most loved products over the years. Our
Activity Toast and classic grilled sandwich range also continue to have a strong
following. The role of our chutneys has been very important. They bring a distinct
flavour profile to the food and have become one of the things customers immediately
associate with Sandwizzaa. We have also expanded into products such as fries,
beverages and newer sandwich formats to make the brand more relevant across
different occasions.
6. What are the strategies that have helped you scale the brand?
● We have grown steadily and with discipline. We have never believed in opening outlets
only to increase the count. Expansion has to be backed by the right location, the right
team, strong supply systems and the ability to deliver the same experience consistently.
Standardisation has been central to our growth. Recipes, preparation processes, hygiene
practices, training and customer service all need to be clearly defined and monitored.
We have also adapted to the growing role of food delivery. Delivery platforms have
helped us reach customers beyond the immediate catchment of an outlet, but they have
also made operational efficiency more important. The food has to travel well,
preparation time has to be controlled and packaging has to protect the experience.
7. What are your future aspirations?
● The aspiration is to build Sandwizzaa into one of India’s most trusted vegetarian quick-
service food brands, while protecting the quality and familiarity that customers have
valued for 40 years.
We want to grow responsibly into new markets, strengthen our presence across dine-in,
takeaway and delivery, and keep evolving the menu for younger consumers without
losing what made the brand successful. We also see potential in taking parts of the
Sandwizzaa experience beyond the outlet format, including products such as our
Spicezzaa masalas and other food categories that can become part of people’s homes.
For us, the goal is not just more stores. It is to make sure that wherever Sandwizzaa
goes, the customer feels the same trust, taste and consistency.
