A practicing interior designer took over baking and became the owner of one of the most loved and Times Awards Winner – 2019 | 2022 dessert places in Ahmedabad, Cocoa Drama.
Gujpreneur brings to you “Khushali Solanki and her Savorous tale of Cocoa Drama“, the life story of a Baking Entrepreneur, Khushali Solanki who started Cocoa Drama, a cake and bakery shop located at Vastrapur, Ahmedabad.
How did it all start; The initiation
After the birth of her son, Khushali started as a Home Baker. With an ardent love for chocolate and dessert making, she decided to bake and spread smiles as a profession. The childhood hobby of Baking took the form of a full-time profession and Cocoa Drama came to life.
The process and its nitty-gritty
My passion for Baking became a profession because of the help and support from friends and family. It all started with taking small orders as a Home baker, slowly taking corporate orders followed by a team that could provide assistance.
Soon after she started she realized there is room for a lot of learning and that made her travel to places like Mumbai, take different courses there, and return back in a matter of a few days.
The blend of all the knowledge gave birth to Cocoa Drama with three desserts on the board: Brownies, Doughnuts, and Cupcakes.
“No matter how small the beginning is, the passion leads you to perkiness and that makes you reach heights“, says Khushali.
She received consultation from a French chef and through trial and error, and various experimentation, today Cocoa Drama has all the goodies your sweet tooth could feel satisfied from.
Vision and Mission of the Baking entrepreneur
“Make people eat whatever I loved to eat!”, says Khushali Solanki. And that is the vision and mission on the foundation of which Cocoa Drama is making people cherish a sweeter smile!
Khushali Solanki’s piece of the tip in Baking Entrepreneurship
Learn and Introduce. She believes in learning, updating, and introducing all those learnings to all her lovely consumers. For an instance, vegan desserts, fewer sugar desserts everything is the result of her attitude that believes in newness.
The Goal, Baking entrepreneur is working toward
To give all kinds of consumers something they could enjoy. Be it the consumers wishing for vegan dessert or gluten-free. Something for everyone!
Challenge in the journey toward spreading sweetness and smiles
Khushali believes, “Competition. Because you are not the only one. However, raising standards on regular basis helps you survive and also thrive.”
Baking entrepreneur’s cupcake of success
“I am happy when people remember me on their special occasions through Cocoa Drama. Sales sometimes would be high while sometimes low. Being a part of people’s happy times is what success is.”
Mantra of Khushali Solanki
“I dream of what I want to achieve, I set a goal and the rest follows.”
Insider insights regarding Entrepreneurship by Khushali Solanki
“Business is not just a bed of red roses. If you cannot take a risk you cannot do business. There will be good days, bad days, worst days.”
A typical day of the Baking entrepreneur
The day starts at 5.30 in the morning. Time for staff at cocoa drama is followed after the workout. Completing all the requisites at the work, the ‘working wonder mother’ then gets back home by 2 as her kids return from school and spends the day completing the remaining tasks and with the family.
Inspirations Khushali looks up at
Traveling to different places, and seeing different ways of making things and presenting them in an even more pleasing way inspires her to be better. Seeking inspiration from the different ways of creating magic out of it.
Combating Covid in dessertious way
While talking about the effect Covid had on the Baking industry, she agrees that like every business her business was affected too. However, “Home delivery of desserts and smiles” was the concept she incorporated that helped her survive.
Advice for the newbies in entrepreneurship
Dream high, and work towards the dreams. Give the best, charge for it, but never compromise on the quality.
Risk-taking ability along with patience for efforts to bear fruit is the food for thought she leaves all the aspiring entrepreneurs with.
Five years down the lane…!
“Sustainable growth. Expansion of one or two places that can be managed from one central kitchen.”, that is the visualization Khushali is manifesting.
Saying that keeps Khushali going
“Work gives me the purpose of my life, however, you must be reasonably ambitious and not crazily ambitious. ”
Khushali Solanki and her Savorous tale of Cocoa Drama can be put together by the phrase “authenticity along with distinctiveness” and that has led her to suffice the craving sweet tooth of the people of Ahmedabad.
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