Incredible Success Story of a Jackfruit Restaurant - the Wonder of Kudumbashree Mission

Smt. Siji Shaji hailing from Malappuram district of Kerala is the proud owner of the one and only jackfruit restaurant in the country. She makes different products from Jackfruit, the official fruit of Kerala State.  Jackfruit was designated state fruit by Government of Kerala in 2018. Usually, ordinary house wives make only steamed jackfruit, jackfruit fry, jackfruit preserves (jackfruit jam), jackfruit curry etc. out of jackfruit. But Siji makes varied yet different products like jackfruit juice, jackfruit shake, jackfruit sarbath, jackfruit cutlet, jackfruit roll, jackfruit burger, jackfruit samosa, jackfruit unniyappam, jackfruit bajji (fritters), jackfruit halwa, jackfruit pappad, jackfruit payasam, jackfruit ladoo, jackfruit biriyani, jackfruit puttu powder, jackfruit avalosunda (snack), jackfruit pulp, Jackfruit pickles etc from Jackfruit.

By running the restaurant names as ‘Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant’, she is making a sale of Rs 2 lakhs per month. Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant is located at the Indira Gandhi bus terminal of Manjeri in Malappuram district. Siji’s ‘Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant’ is producing around 35 products out of Jackfruit.

Launch of Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant

Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant was started during May 2018. Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant can accommodate around 16 people in the restaurant.  And the customers may also but jackfruit puttu powder, jackfruit halwa, jackfruit preserves etc from Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant. Smt. Siji Shaji is the member of Deepthi Neighborhood group under Aanakayam Community Development Society. Her life changed after receiving a training It was a three-day training programme at the Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) in Anakkayam. She wasn’t sure what exactly she had enrolled for. All she knew was that she wanted to learn a skill so that she could earn a little money. She got inspiration from the training which was on Jack Fruit products preparation.

Later, she started making use of those skills. At first, she started making various dishes out of jackfruit but it didn’t get workout. Later she temporarily worked at Regional Agriculture Research Station (RARS) in Anakkayam itself in the value addition department and it had increased her self- confidence. Later she registered a micro enterprise named Alna’s Jackfruit restaurant in Kudumbashree Mission and started producing jackfruit products extensively.

Her husband Shri. Shaji and her daughter Alna and son-in-law Nikhil had extended her full support.  Her jackfruit products became a great hit during ramzan and other other festivals and had got wide acceptance in more than 100 trade fairs held inside and outside Kerala and this increased her confidence.

Her regular consumers requested for a one stop shop for buying value added products of jackfruit. This in turn led to the idea of launching a jackfruit restaurant. And later the Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant was started with an investment of Rs.5 lakhs.

When jackfruit is not available in Manjeri, her hometown, she arranges jackfruit from Idukki and Thiruvanathapuram districts through agents. On gaining confidence from the success of jackfruit restaurant she launched the jackfruit tea stall.  A total of 12 women are working under Siji, out of them, four people help her with the works at the restaurant. She aims at starting jackfruit restaurants in other parts of the district where all products and dishes including jackfruit biriyani would be available.

As Jack fruits are common in the areas, the society laughed at her. But she didn’t give ear to the prejudice and moved forward with confidence. Siji had proved that making use of the opportunity at the right time can bring in great changes in everyone’s lives. According to Siji, any woman is capable to accomplish their dream to become their own boss if they have sheer confidence in themselves.  Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant could be considered as an epitome of unaltered will power and confidence. With a gradual yet steady growth, Alna’s Jackfruit Restaurant had proved that belief in their selves could take anyone to greater success and fame.