Around Town: How Asha Jhaveri took Swati Snacks to new heights, and prepared it for a future without her

Indian Express

05-07-2025

Last month, Asha Jhaveri — the woman at the helm of Mumbai's famed destination for 'home-like' chaats and Gujarati specialities, Swati Snacks — breathed her last after a prolonged illness.
'She initially had cancer, then heart conditions and all kinds of other complications that came with it, but Asha was a fairly unique person,' said her brother Anand Zaveri over a Zoom call from Ahmedabad. 'She was suffering from everything, and yet she went about life like an 18-year-old.' He added that the family had received an outpouring of condolence messages, both in person and over text.
Swati Snacks began as a humble eatery in Tardeo in December 1962. Started by Minakshi Jhaveri. It offered just five items: pani puri, dahi batata puri, sev puri, ragda patties, and hand-churned sitaphal ice cream, all priced at four annas each.
'Our parents had separated, and we were living with our mother,' shared Anand. 'It was important for her to earn money for the family. We had Veeralal, a maharaj (cook) who worked at our house. He made very interesting chaat items — things people weren't making at home — and our friends and relatives loved them. My mother was quite outgoing, and someone suggested, 'Why don't you start a little restaurant?'.' And she did, with Rs 35,000 that her mother lent her, she purchased a 250-sq ft shop.
The space was so small that all the preparation happened at home. At 4 pm, a taxi would arrive to carry the food to the eatery. 'It was a very un-business-like business. A lot of restaurants say 'homemade food,' but ours really was.'
When Minakshi Jhaveri passed away suddenly in 1979 due to a severe diabetes attack, Asha had to step in. 'Neither of us knew anything about food or how to run a business, but there was no choice. Asha had to show up at the restaurant the very next day. It was our cook, Veeralal, who gave her the confidence. He told her, 'Don't worry, I will support you.''
Over the years, Asha expanded the menu to include Gujarati specials, including panki, a wafer-thin pancake made with fermented rice flour, cooked between banana leaves. Though met with initial resistance, it soon became a hit. Today, over 500 pankis are sold at the Tardeo outlet alone every Sunday. The menu also offers pizza, dosa and uttapam to cater to all generations. 'We have three-four generations coming to our restaurant, we want them all to have something,' added Anand.
The restaurant also grew in size, acquiring the neighbouring unit, expanding to 1,400 sq ft and doubling seating capacity to 80. It became a go-to for those wanting Mumbai street food in a hygienic setting, including Michelin-starred chefs visiting India. Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani wrote in Asha's book A Culinary Journey of Hope and Joy that three generations of his family 'cannot live without eating a meal from Swati at least once a week'.
Over the past two decades, the brand was further polished — a sleek stainless steel makeover, signature bright yellow plates, and new locations: Law Garden (2003) and Ambli (2019) in Ahmedabad, managed by Anand and his son Shaan, and another 2,000-sq-ft outlet at Nariman Point in Mumbai.
'At some point, Asha said, 'I need to start another restaurant (in Mumbai),'' recalled Anand. 'When I asked why, she said, 'How can you have so many people waiting an hour to get a seat? We have to do this.' It wasn't a typical business expansion. It came from a sense of duty to the customer.'
When it comes to the future of Swati Snacks, Anand shared that Asha had set the things in motion a little over two decades ago.
'She foresaw all of this over two decades ago,' Anand said. In the early 2000s, she began training Anand's sons and later, his grandchildren. 'We've had 25 years of training under her. We know what she wanted. We've run two restaurants ourselves. We've got the grounding and now it's just about extending that to Bombay. Some of us will be more visible. Some will work behind the scenes. Fortunately, we have a large family to take it forward.'
Swati Snacks will also remain family-owned, shared Shaan. The next phase includes two new eateries in Ahmedabad — one in GIFT City later this year and another in 2026. 'There's often an expectation that successful businesses must expand. But for us, this is a family business. Our goal is to keep it that way. We'll grow only as much as the family can manage,' Shaan added.
The women-led legacy, too, will continue. Asha's grand-niece Niva, 26, who has shadowed her for two years, is ready to take charge. A business management graduate, Niva is focused on optimising production, reducing waste, and building a sustainable future. She will shuttle between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
'I want to grow the business in a way that stays true to its roots — home-style food in a safe, hygienic environment,' she said, over a phone call from London, adding, 'And hopefully, take it international in the next five years.'
In Mumbai, two more women, Roshni Patel and Heli Patel, have recently joined as operations leads. 'We don't come from business backgrounds,' they admitted. 'But Ashaben told us, if you know how to run a home and raise children, you can run Swati Snacks.' Six decades later, that ethos remains unchanged.