Jano Jayapalan (@janojjanj) is the co-founder of Reggie’s Rolls (@reggiesrolls), a family-owned caterer that makes deep fried rolls inspired by Sri Lankan & Fusion cuisine, with the goal of making rolls mainstream!
He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss starting his company to escape the rat race, providing the perfect mutton to potato ratio, delivering during the COVID-19 pandemic, why bakeries shouldn’t devalue their food, mixing family and business, why being an entrepreneur isn’t as glamorous as it sounds, and so much more.
Follow Jano:
– Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/reggiesrolls/)
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Timestamps
00:19 – Ara introduces this week’s guest, Jano Jayapalan
00:58 – Jano speaks on his early childhood and upbringing
01:58 – Studying economics at Brock University with a lack of Tamil food
03:19 – His mom opening Mississauga’s first Tamil restaurant in the early 90s
06:01 – What sparked the idea for Reggie’s Rolls?
07:28 – Challenges of the food industry
08:35 – His first sale and knowing he was onto something
09:25 – Temporarily working with Uber Eats
10:46 – The rationale behind pricing Reggie’s Rolls
13:19 – Feedback from customers as the price rose
15:25 – Understanding that you can’t please everybody
16:41 – The revenue split for Reggie’s Rolls and investing in wholesale
18:55 – Will frozen rolls be on the menu in the future?
19:46 – How people can order, locations, and new prices
21:05 – Working with family; how they make it work
22:43 – Jano’s long-term plan; going global
23:24 – Secret plans in the works
23:47 – Jano shares some tips for food-related entrepreneurs
26:18 – Investing in real estate and being a father
27:50 – The behind-the-scenes struggles of entrepreneurship
29:11 – How being an entrepreneur affects Jano’s social life
30:31 – Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
33:51 – The personal legacy he wants to be remembered for
34:18 – Creator Confessions
38:26 – The Wrap Up
Intro Music
Produced And Mixed By:
– The Tamil Creator
– Yanchan
Written By:
– Aravinthan Ehamparam
– Yanchan Rajmohan