Growing from one city to three: when to expand

The pitch deck version of this is "we'll launch in Mumbai next quarter." The reality is more like: you'll be running two half-broken businesses instead of one good one.

Before expanding, check these:

Have you saturated your home pincodes? If you're not at 8-10% subscription penetration in your top 3 pincodes, expand within the city first. It's cheaper, faster, and the unit economics are better.

Do you have a head of ops who is not the founder? Multi-city means you can't be on the kitchen floor in both. If the founder is still doing morning prep, you're not ready.

Is your menu modular? A menu that depends on a specific spice mix from a specific supplier doesn't travel. A menu built around 6 base proteins and 8 sauces does.

Does the city actually want your food? Delhi's love for paneer doesn't always translate to Bangalore's love for ragi. Test for two weeks before signing a kitchen lease.

When you do expand, do it with a city-specific brand, not a single brand. "MealDispatch Delhi" and "MealDispatch Bangalore" lets each city iterate on menu and pricing without breaking the other.