EP #105: Jano Jayapalan - Co-Founder Of Family-Run Food Business, Reggie's Rolls

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/)

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