Ravi Yatnalkar’s journey into entrepreneurship didn’t start in a startup accelerator—it started in a family kitchen. Coming from a catering and food business background in India, Ravi always had a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the food industry. That knowledge eventually led to Viva Chefs, a unique platform redefining how families experience home-cooked meals and how chefs find meaningful, better-paying work.
Ravi shares- “Many line cooks in the restaurant industry take on gig work to make some extra income on the side. While Uber pays drivers around $20/hour, most chefs on Viva Chefs start their services at $35/hour. For them, it’s a lot less stressful than working extra hours in a restaurant, more fulfilling, and more lucrative.”
Viva Chefs isn’t a meal delivery service—it’s a marketplace where busy families and professionals hire local chefs to cook weekly meals in their own kitchens. Chefs set their own menus, prices, and schedules, creating profiles much like software developers do on platforms like Upwork. Over time, these profiles become their personal brand, helping them attract and retain customers more easily.
The platform launched in the Bay Area and is now aiming for national expansion. With a bold vision of reaching $100 million in revenue over the next five years.
Ravi credits his family background with giving him an edge in building trust and meaningful relationships with chefs. “I understand their mindset. I can connect with them. I want to create better opportunities for them—not just a gig, but a platform where they can grow.”
He’s clear that Viva Chefs is not a franchise model. “In my view, franchising can dilute the value of what we are trying to achieve. We’re a complete marketplace where every chef markets themselves.”
Building a scalable food business is no easy task. “Speed matters in everything we do—from building strong tech to running smooth operations. The technology has to be just as solid as the meals our chefs cook, and both need to move fast.”
Ravi’s biggest lesson? “If I could go back, I’d have started my business earlier. I took my corporate job too seriously for too long. When you work for a company, you’re often disconnected from the real customer pain points. In your own business, you hear them firsthand.”
He emphasizes that founders must ensure strong funding if working on low-ticket ideas. “Even if you do your best, a 10% margin on a $100 sale doesn’t move the needle without scale.”
Optimism, Ravi says, is essential. “Building a business takes 3–8 years. You need a mix of intuition, data, and strong support. My wife is my anchor, she sees the long-term, while I try fast and fail fast.”
For aspiring founders, Ravi offers grounded advice: “Don’t fall for shiny success stories on TikTok or Instagram. Choose a business aligned with your skills and surround yourself with people who bring a unique perspective & experience. Don’t try to solve everything yourself”
Sales, he insists, is the minimum qualification. “Don’t be afraid to approach people. Build relationships. Everything isn’t transactional. Perseverance is the most underrated skill.”
Looking ahead, Viva Chefs plans to expand into different states. We want to grow where there’s a genuine gap between demand and supply. Eventually, we want every chef to have a good life.”
From designing hardware at Amazon to building a people-first food tech platform, Ravi Yatnalkar’s story shows what happens when you blend cultural roots with entrepreneurial courage—and create something truly meaningful in the process.