At 13, Narayan Poojari left his hometown of Kundapur in coastal Karnataka and arrived in Mumbai to find work. His first job was at a canteen, where he cleaned up after customers while attending night school. Over the next decade, he worked his way through different roles in the food service business, learning how restaurants operated from the ground up.
That experience eventually brought him to Shiv Sagar, a restaurant that would become the foundation of his business career. Today, the chain operates around 15 outlets across Mumbai, Pune and Mangaluru. Its revenue reached Rs 111.45 crore in FY25, up from Rs 10.65 crore in FY15, according to Tracxn.
The journey from a canteen job to running a multi-city restaurant business began in 1990, when businessman Baghubhai Patel opened Shiv Sagar at Kemps Corner in Mumbai and hired Poojari as its manager. Within months, the job had turned into a business partnership.
When Shiv Sagar first opened, its menu was far removed from the extensive selection it offers today. The restaurant sourced ice cream from Kwality and served it directly or as sundaes. As the business developed, the menu expanded to include pizza, pav bhaji, South Indian food, Chinese dishes and North Indian cuisine.
The move towards a broader menu helped the restaurant attract customers at different times of the day. Pizza, then a relatively new offering for many diners, became a major draw, while pav bhaji and fruit juice found a following among late-night customers.