This year has been remarkable in more ways than one, but nothing shines brighter than the rise of women who are reshaping India’s food landscape. From cloud kitchens tucked away in quiet corners to bustling cafes and artisanal brands making waves, women foodpreneurs are proving that passion, persistence, and palate can create magic far beyond the walls of a kitchen.
This feature celebrates these trailblazers, the ones who dared to turn recipes into enterprises and personal dreams into community experiences. Much like a grand banquet where every dish tells a story, their journeys are a medley of resilience, innovation, and an undying love for food.
From chefs who left high-paying corporate jobs to bakers who started with a single oven at home, from spice curators reviving forgotten flavours to entrepreneurs mastering the digital food economy, these women remind us that entrepreneurship is not just about risk, it is about rewriting the rules with courage and creativity.
As you read the article, you will meet women who are making a tremendous impact in the male-dominated restaurant world and leading the way and creating space for the younger generation to follow in the industry.
Ella Garg – Yellow Marigold Experience Studio and House Cafe
Ella’s outlook on life and food was shaped early during her childhood in Dehradun in the 1980s and 1990s. Raised in a middle-class home with two brothers and a large circle of cousins, she remembers her childhood as modest yet full of joy. Meals were never just about nourishment but about conversations, togetherness, and a sense of belonging. Her father’s quiet but steady support gave her the confidence to stay true to herself and the resilience to face challenges—values that continue to anchor her journey today.
Academically strong and drawn to design, Ella built her career in the corporate world, spending nearly two decades as a retail strategist and designer. She worked across multiple facets of retail—from conceptualizing formats and designing physical spaces to creating business models and running large-scale operations. Her career culminated in her role as Vice President, Retail Strategy & Digitization at Airtel, where she thrived on the challenge of innovation and scale. Yet, after years of leading at this pace, she felt a pull to step back and build something of her own, rooted in purpose and creativity.
That impulse gave birth to Yellow Marigold. For Ella, the café embodies her belief that “whoever is happy will make others happy too.” It is not just a dining place but a space where comfort and creativity meet, and where food fosters connection. The menu reflects her philosophy—drawing on Oriental and Continental flavors, balancing comfort with curiosity. Alongside its food, Yellow Marigold is known for its carefully crafted beverages, from coffee that invites guests to linger to coolers, beer, and wine that create a convivial atmosphere.
Her love of travel and exposure to global cuisines further influenced this vision. Experiencing different flavors and cultures reinforced her conviction that food is about more than taste; it is about atmosphere, memory, and emotion. With Oriental cuisine being her personal favorite, shaping Yellow Marigold around it felt like a natural extension of her own palate and inspirations.
Outside of work, Ella finds energy in music, calm in gardening, and balance in her commitment to health and wellness. But above all, she treasures her role as a mother, with time spent with her child remaining her greatest source of joy.
Ella’s journey from corporate boardrooms to food entrepreneurship is one of reinvention, purpose, and authenticity. With Yellow Marigold, she has created not just a café, but a space of joy, creativity, and belonging.
Shruti – Coco Osteria & Monsoon
Shruti’s journey into hospitality is a story of reinvention—shaped by strong academics, a demanding legal career, and a deep-rooted love for food.
She grew up in Kanpur in a close-knit family where meals were central to everyday life. Food was not just sustenance but a way of bringing people together, and weekends often meant gathering around a table with cousins and friends. The rich culinary culture of Uttar Pradesh, with its emphasis on warmth and generosity, quietly shaped her early outlook. It taught her that hospitality is as much about empathy and detail as it is about taste—an idea that has stayed with her ever since.
Her education and professional path initially followed a very different track. After completing her commerce degree at Shri Ram College of Commerce, she studied law at Delhi University and went on to earn a Master of Law at the University of Cambridge. For more than eight years, she thrived as a litigation lawyer in New Delhi, enjoying the fast pace of courtrooms and the intellectual challenge the profession demanded. Yet even during those years, she often found comfort in good food and memorable dining experiences—moments that helped her pause and reset amid the pressures of legal practice.
The turning point came during the 2020 lockdown, when Shruti and her husband Abhishek, both passionate about food and travel, realized Dehradun lacked the kind of authentic Neapolitan pizza and quality coffee they had enjoyed elsewhere. They decided to fill the gap themselves, giving birth to Coco Osteria, a casual Italian restaurant known for its wood-fired pizzas, hand-rolled raviolis, and freshly brewed coffee. The café quickly became more than a place to eat; it was a welcoming space designed around comfort, creativity, and connection.
Their second venture, Monsoon, emerged from a shared desire to showcase India’s culinary richness. The café celebrates regional Indian food, with a particular focus on Uttarakhandi dishes, placing local cuisine on the larger gastronomic map. Both Coco Osteria and Monsoon reflect Shruti’s ingredient-forward philosophy, centered on seasonality, freshness, and authenticity.
Outside of work, Shruti continues to nurture her creative side. Travel remains her biggest source of inspiration, offering new flavors and fresh perspectives. She also enjoys reading and writing, pursuits she hopes to explore further in the years ahead.
From courtrooms to kitchens, Shruti’s path has been anything but conventional. Her story shows how passion, once rediscovered, can become purpose—transforming a successful lawyer into a food entrepreneur dedicated to crafting experiences that are warm, authentic, and lasting.
Chhavi Dawar – House of Nutmeg
Chhavi Dawar’s journey into entrepreneurship reflects a balance of analytical training, creative instincts, and an enduring passion for food. Born and raised in Jaipur in a close-knit joint family, she grew up surrounded by tradition, togetherness, and the flavors of home. Early on, she discovered not only a love for cooking but also for creating—bringing fresh ideas and experiences to those around her.
Her education laid the foundation for this dual interest. After completing her schooling at Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ School, Jaipur, she graduated from Maharani College, Jaipur. Alongside, she pursued a degree in Jewellery Designing, which strengthened her eye for detail and appreciation for design. Later, she earned an MBA in Finance and Banking from IBS Hyderabad, equipping her with strong skills in financial planning, investment strategies, and business analytics.
Chhavi began her professional career in jewellery design and manufacturing, combining creativity with precision. Marriage and motherhood led her to pause her career, particularly during the pandemic years, when she dedicated herself fully to raising her daughter. As life gradually returned to normal and her daughter grew more independent, she revisited her lifelong passion for food. Supported by her husband, Archit Dawar, and driven by the urge to build something of her own, she began shaping her next chapter as an entrepreneur.
The result was a restaurant in Dehradun that brings together a wide variety of cuisines under one roof. The menu spans North and South Indian dishes, Chinese cuisine, continental offerings, an eggless handcrafted bakery, crafted non-alcoholic cocktails, and gourmet coffees, smoothies, and shakes. The vision was clear: to create a welcoming vegetarian resto café that combined quality, variety, and creativity in an inviting space where people could eat, work, or relax.
For Chhavi, this venture is not only about food but also about experiences—curating a space that reflects comfort, community, and care. It also fills a gap she and Archit noticed in Dehradun’s dining scene, where refined vegetarian experiences were rare.
Beyond the restaurant, Chhavi continues to nurture her creative side. Painting offers her a sense of meditation and calm, while morning walks and fitness classes keep her energized. One of her most meaningful pursuits is teaching art to her daughter, encouraging her talent and independence. She also values spending quality time with family and enjoys socializing in moderation, preferring smaller, more meaningful interactions.
Chhavi’s journey from finance and jewellery design to food entrepreneurship is a story of reinvention and persistence, showing how passion, once rediscovered, can evolve into a purposeful career.
These awe-inspiring women are proof of the fact that a recipe made with ingredients like hard work, dedication and confidence and garnished with a lot of perseverance is sure to be a winner.