Childhood love to livelihood: Story of Ayodhya’s Royal Cafe and Restaurant

In Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, first-time restaurateur Manish has turned a childhood love of food into a livelihood. As the founder of Royal Cafe Restaurant & Bakery, he says state-backed credit helped him move from an idea to a running outlet that now employs local youth.

Manish traces the restaurant’s name to his student days in Lucknow. Visits to the well-known Royal Cafe in Hazratganj, he says, left a lasting impression. Years later, when he set up his own outlet in Ayodhya, he chose the name Royal Cafe Restaurant & Bakery as a nod to those early memories.

He began modestly, aiming to offer clean, consistent food in a neighbourhood setting. To get the kitchen running, he pooled about Rs 5-6 lakh from personal savings. 

As orders began to pick up, he says he needed additional working capital to manage day-to-day expenses and maintain supplies.

From savings to scheme-backed capital

To bridge the funding gap, Manish applied under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM Yuva) Yojana. He says he first learnt about the programme through advertisements that mentioned entry-level loans of around Rs5 lakh, as well as a Rs 50,000 subsidy, and no interest. 

According to him, the combination of bank credit and subsidy support made the initial outlay more manageable during the early months.

The bank directed him to submit an application on the government portal first. The initial portal screening took about 10-15 days, after which the file was forwarded to a partner bank for appraisal. 

With documents prepared, he estimates the disbursal took roughly 20-25 days. He describes the journey as structured rather than instant, with clear steps, documentation requirements, and timelines.

What the outlet serves and what comes next

Royal Cafe Restaurant & Bakery focuses on quick-serve favourites. Burgers and pizzas are currently the bestsellers, prepared in-house. Manish emphasises the use of branded ingredients and standardised methods to maintain consistent quality for repeat customers.

Within months of opening, the outlet onboarded about four staff members. Hiring made the venture feel more real to the founder since a small business can create a steady income for multiple households. 

He suggests choosing a business one understands, preparing documents in advance, and engaging proactively with the bank. He also encourages peers to explore the CM Yuva Yojana, adding that he recently guided a friend through the first steps of an application.

As operations stabilise, Manish plans to keep improving service and consistency while maintaining cost control. He says the focus now is on building repeat customers and running the outlet steadily, one month at a time.