DEDICATED TO DISRUPT

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub and Adnan Khan, owners of Cheez, Pagla Baburchi, The Stubborn Goat, and Habiby’s, share their journey, innovative marketing approaches, and upcoming venture plans.
Long before becoming celebrated restaurateurs, your journey began as a team in 6th grade while arranging FIFA Tournaments. What’s the story there- how did you find each other and eventually become partners?

Adnan Khan: Everyone we work with right now has been our friend since school. Back in 2012, when we were 6th graders, we started an event management company. We organized FIFA tournaments, proms, concerts and many such events. In other words, we were a bridge of connection between various communities. As we organized events; we brought people together. In this entire process, we made several connections as well. We continued to work through our A levels when one day a well-wisher, Mehrab, suggested that we should start a marketing agency. The entire vision of a marketing agency gave us a boost as the agency industry was still in its inception.

Soon afterwards we established ‘Scratchboard Marketing’ in 2015. Gradually we signed a few clients such as Glazed, HAKKA DHAKA, Mad Chef, Glasshouse and many more. In the course of time, we began a partnership with Mad Chef and were doing incredible. However, when our contract came to a termination, things became more challenging. Nevertheless, that stumble was a turning point for us in our career.

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub: We see challenges as opportunities. I truly believe that the downfalls in life are a transit to a great success story. With that end in view, Adnan and I became partners to start various ventures. In our working style, we abide by a particular dynamic. Adnan looks after the marketing and business expansion. I, on the other hand, manage the operations, HR, and business development end. We relentlessly formulate strategies blended with creativity to add interesting features in our projects. The Stubborn Goat, Cheez, Habiby’s, and Pagla Baburchi are some of the successful outcomes of our incredible partnership.

How much motivation was there to become financially independent when you co-founded Scratchboard Marketing at the age of fourteen?

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub: Although both of our family backgrounds are sound, we chose to earn to fulfill our needs through diligence rather than getting an allowance. Having self-esteem and confidence was essential for us. Our aspiration to indulge in productive endeavors was always persistent. Hence, we avidly worked our way up from an event management company to an agency. Each of our small endeavors motivated us to pursue a bigger venture. Thus, we gradually became self-reliant.

Adnan Khan: At a very early age, our parents embedded the necessary understanding of financial independence within us and always taught us that to get something you have to earn it. The most important aspect about attaining financial independence is the maturity that comes with it. It stimulates confidence and dignity to accomplish anything. Fortunately, it worked for us. So we are truly thankful to our parents for teaching us the value of hard work and independence.

Starting a business, let alone a marketing agency at such a young age must have been challenging. If you had to narrow it down, what were the top three obstacles you had to overcome?

Adnan Khan: At the beginning, our prime obstacle was not being taken seriously by the clients. As we were even younger back then, sometimes we were underestimated. However, this issue did not last long; the quality of our portfolio spoke for itself and helped to establish credibility. Another obstacle for us was the lack of investment. We never took any loans or made any investments to grow. Our venture was not backed-up by VC based funding. It flourished in small steps. I feel that if we had had sufficient funding, the pace of our growth would have been faster.

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub: Our approach has been quite innovative in establishing our brands. As a result, we have established a good name for ourselves. However, now the challenge is to keep up with the expectation of other companies and our clients. As young entrepreneurs, we are often challenged and expected to prove ourselves with higher intensity and maturity and we are steadfast in facing all the challenges.

Considering your background, how important has the role of digital marketing been in establishing your brands?

Adnan Khan: The role of digital marketing was significant for us as it was the only edge we had. When we enter an established market, a lot of people hold a strong position with money, great real-estate, experience and staff. When it came to us, digital marketing was an area where nothing could hold us back. It’s something where we meshed our creativity with strategy to move forward. The way we have marketed Cheez, shows our originality of expressing and establishing our brand. We made content relatable to our consumers. Thus, digital marketing was one realm where we could use our mind without being constrained by the structure or the industry.

What was your source of inspiration for all of your ventures?

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub: We have been blessed with great mentors. When you closely associate with people you look up to, you certainly adopt some of their qualities. Arman Mohammad and Labib Tarafder are two iconic individuals who have been a source of great inspiration for us. These two individuals are the pioneers of a new era of marketing in the restaurant sector. Arman and Labib have always motivated us with their dedication and perseverance. It has inspired us to do better in our respective departments.

Undoubtedly that has had a huge impact on us and we are grateful for their guidance, which inspired us to put more effort into the business. Thus we are constantly working to evolve and improve.

What is the key to persistence of your ventures?

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub: Running a restaurant is a challenge. We are dealing with food, which holds an incredibly special place in people’s hearts. It creates memories and bonds among friends and families. We personally micro-manage to an extent which is unimaginable, starting from data entry to our customer feedback, to dealing with customers on a personally. For instance, say a customer comes to our restaurant. Say his/her order costs Tk 5000 and the sauce costs Tk 30. Even if we get a complain about that TK 30 sauce, we will still look into it with the same amount of introspection as we would for the Tk 5000 meal. We care about the slightest inconvenience with sincerity. The key is to manage all details with equal earnestness along with zero tolerance of mistakes.

What’s next in the pipeline for you guys?

Adnan Khan: Our satisfaction comes from disruptive innovation rather than recognition. All of our ventures are still in their infancy. We have worked hard with implementing strategies to substantiate our brand within a short time. However, we are yet to reach the disruption phase. So the next 2 years are very exciting for us.

We intend to try things that have never been done in Bangladesh. To specify, we have a few projects and brands coming along. On top of that, we are furthering our reach with technology as we are getting into apps. In short, we are planning to look at things differently movinng forward.

Sheikh Iqram Mahbub: One thing that we want people to know is that we want to put Bangladesh on the map, in terms of the restaurant industry. Every equation has been streamlined in such a way that it can be easily scalable. So our aim is to spread wings globally. We are proud of our new dynamics at such a young age and see it as a responsibility to taken it further.

 

Photograph: Tanvir Khan