Ajay Gowda, Managing Partner of BYG Ventures, is gearing up for a busy 2025. He discussed the company’s ambitious expansion plans at the launch of his latest venture, the expansive Jollygunj in JP Nagar, Bengaluru. This third addition to their brand portfolio marks the beginning of a growth phase projected to more than double the number of restaurants and brands by the end of 2025.
Gowda’s journey in the F&B industry began in 1999 with the launch of his first pub, Styx. In his 25th year in the business, he aims to expand the brand portfolio from the current three—Byg Brewski, Bob’s Bar, and the newly launched Jollygunj—to four additional brands. He also plans to increase the number of outlets from eight to eighteen.
“Alongside the launch of this branch of Jollygunj, we are working on two more outlets—one outlet has already completed the design stage, and the other is part of a collection of bars, where Jollygunj is our centerpiece,” Gowda said, beginning with plans for their newest brand, which he says is his favorite for first the large Bengaluru market which has a great appetite and ultimately pan India.
“Currently, we have three brands, but we are coming out with four more brands. The first one will launch in about four months and will have a Bengaluru bar theme. Next, we have curated a beautiful bar for Gen Z—we can call it a product for 21-30-year-olds, which we can expect five months from now,” Gowda said about his expansion plans.
“We are also developing a brand of ultra-premium bars—small intimate spaces—and finally a brand which will be a first for us, a food-led bar,” he said about what was in store for customers from BYG Ventures.
Gowda plans to expand rapidly, although he admitted that opening a new outlet, let alone a new brand, requires significant effort from his team. To prepare for the challenges ahead, they have been strengthening their development team.
“By the first week of February, we will have two more Jollyganjs as well as one more Bob’s Bar,” he said, adding, “We will open one more BYG Brewski as well, and if more real estate is available, we will try and open another one.”
He shared that his current turnover of approximately INR 200 crores is expected to grow, with a target of reaching INR 500 crores by FY 25-26. Additionally, his company plans to venture into liquor retail for its expansion.
“The idea is to be truly experiential and explorative. Something that Bengaluru has not seen as yet, where we will be very careful in curating the right products and give customers somewhere they can spend a couple of hours at,” he said, adding that they had already identified real estate for the outlet and were in talks.
