From ₹50,000 Loan to ₹40,000 Daily Sales: How Ganesh Sathe Turned Street Food Failures into a Winning Venture

Thane-based entrepreneur makes a mark in street food
Ganesh Sathe, 23, from Thane, Maharashtra, has carved a niche in the street food industry. Alongside his sister Sapna Sathe, he launched “The Benne”, a street stall serving authentic Benne Dosa, which now generates daily sales of ₹40,000.

Early Struggles and Setbacks
While street food is often considered a low-risk business, Ganesh’s journey was anything but easy. In January 2023, while pursuing a CA course, he borrowed ₹50,000 from his parents to start selling his mother’s signature Benne Dosa on an old cart. However, competition, poor lighting, and monsoon rains severely affected sales, which fell from ₹3,000 on weekends to just ₹200.

By mid-2024, heavy losses and mounting stress led Ganesh to temporarily shut down his venture. Benne Dosa, a specialty from Davangere in Karnataka, is made with generous amounts of pure white butter, giving it its rich taste.

Learning from Mistakes
Ganesh and Sapna found inspiration during a visit to Rameshwaram Café in Bengaluru, where they studied the local dosa culture. Recognizing their mistakes, they decided to restart. A motivational post by Ratan Tata gave Ganesh renewed energy. He even branded his cart with “Inspired by Ratan Tata,” persuaded his mother to support him again, and secured a small ₹30,000 online loan to revamp the cart with a premium look.

Re-launch Brings Massive Success
In October 2025, “The Benne” was officially relaunched. Ganesh and Sapna shared their struggles and journey on Instagram, gaining local fame. Daily footfall surged from 20 to 300-400 customers, selling out the entire stock in just 2.5 hours. The use of pure butter from Pune and high-quality ingredients won over customers, propelling daily sales to ₹40,000.

From Cart to Permanent Store
To accommodate growing crowds and streamline operations, Ganesh and Sapna decided to establish a permanent shop in Thane, at the very location where their first cart had operated in 2023. With over 5,000 Instagram followers, the young entrepreneurs now share every step of their fixed-dosa shop’s journey with the world, inspiring fellow youth to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.