Among the millions displaced during the Partition of India was a man named Giani Gurcharan Singh — who moved from Lyallpur in Pakistan and settled as a refugee in Delhi’s Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk.
He left behind his life’s earnings and memories of his homeland but carried with him his skills and experience in making traditional sweets and desserts.
Little did he know that these skills would not only help him survive his new life but also spawn a multi-crore business and become Delhi’s most iconic ice cream brand – Giani.
The family owes their success to all the traditional recipes Giani adopted to set up a small shop that sold rabri,falooda, gajar and moong dal halwa.
Pic source: Foody Travel Moody
These items continue to feature among the list of delicious treats that the store offers today — including shakes, ice creams, sundaes, cold stone ice creams, waffle ice creams, and gelatos.
“My grandfather used to run a sweet shop back in Pakistan,” Taranjeet, the third-generation owner of Giani, tells The Better India.
After he arrived in India, he set up a small store in Delhi to make and sell rabri falooda, as well as mango and pineapple shakes among other items.
The business was established around 1951-52 and officially registered in 1956.
“These recipes introduced by my grandfather have remained unchanged as a way of expressing gratitude to him for the work he has done,” the 43-year-old says.
Taranjeet says his grandfather made all the desserts by hand and used quality ingredients.“People living in the locality and passers-by loved the taste, and the business earned the name ‘Giani Di Hatti’,” he adds.
Giani became so famous that even personalities, such as Mohammad Rafi and Raj Kapoor, alongside ministers, made it their go-to to fulfil their sweet cravings.
“In 1970, my father Gurbachan, Giani’s eldest son, joined the business. As the number of orders started increasing, we needed to buy a second-hand ice cream freezer and other equipment for storage, and to keep up with production,” Taranjeet says.
Taranjeet joined the business in the ‘90s and decided to expand outside the commercial market area. He adds that the flavours and types of ice creams continued to increase and now include over 100 varieties.
“Over time, customers’ habits changed from treating ice cream as a dessert to preferring it after work, during socialising, and even for fun,” he says.
He adds that some of their most popular desserts are the Giani Special Ice Cream, Belgian Chocolate, Kuch Nahi Sundae, Brownie, Black Forest, Hot Chocolate Fudge, ice cream, cakes and kulfis.
Taranjeet says the company has over 40 outlets across Delhi and has a presence through the franchisee model in other cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and six others.
Speaking about the secret tips for running a successful business, Taranjeet says that ethics are the most important. “Maintaining quality, hygiene, and constantly innovating are the three pillars on which my grandfather built the business, and they remain our foundation as well,” he says.He adds, “My grandfather planted a sapling 68 years ago, which has grown into a fruit-bearing tree. My job is to take good care of it and continue his legacy.”