Goa-based Sairaj Dhond’s Wakao Foods is a brand that sells pre-cooked meat alternatives without using artificial additives, all made of jackfruit. They offer Teriyaki Jack, Butter Jack, BBQ Jack and Jack Burger Patty.
As a child, Goa-native Sairaj Dhond recalls that he couldn’t differentiate between chicken and jackfruit. Little Sairaj was not wrong as the texture of jackfruit, at a certain stage, is similar to meat.
It was this unconventional thought that led him to start Wakao Foods, a brand that sells pre-cooked jackfruit meat items like Teriyaki Jack, Butter Jack, BBQ Jack and Jack Burger Patty.
Sairaj’s bootstrapped venture set up a supply chain with farming clusters. “My ultimate goal is to see every restaurant in India have a vegan menu beside the regular one,” says the founder.
All products of Wakao have a shelf-life of 12 months and need not be refrigerated till opening.
The brand has 27 offline stores, 30 restaurant partnerships and online sales all over the country.
Additionally, it became the first startup of India backed by three female sharks on the reality show Shark Tank India, bagging a Rs 75 lakh deal.
Watch the success story of this Goan vegan brand here:
