When 4,000 Food Samples Became Bhopal's Trust in Lazeez Hakeem

For Lazeez Hakeem, one such unforgettable journey began on Sunday, 12 January 2014.

At around 6:00 AM, my phone rang.

A lady on the other end politely asked,

"Is this the number that doesn't have WhatsApp?"

The moment I heard that question, I knew exactly what had happened. The morning edition of Dainik Bhaskar had reached homes across Bhopal, and with it, our special promotional menu.

Back then, our communication system was quite different from today. We had five dedicated telephone lines (0755-4222227) with individual attendants answering calls. Along with that, we accepted requests through WhatsApp (9977666541), SMS (9300007580), Fax (0755-4284626), Email (hakeemhotel@yahoo.co.in), and Facebook.

We had designed a pocket-friendly menu especially for this campaign and published it in Dainik Bhaskar. Guests could choose any three dishes from that menu—including Main Course, Chinese, Kebabs, Rice, Biryani, or Indian Breads—and receive them as complimentary food samples.

From early morning until late evening, our phones never stopped ringing. WhatsApp messages poured in. Facebook requests kept arriving. Emails continued throughout the day. Guests called to register their choices, while many even visited the restaurant personally to submit their forms.

Initially, we believed we might receive around 500 requests, and we had prepared accordingly. But as the day progressed, we realized that something extraordinary was happening.

People were responding with immense excitement and, more importantly, with complete trust. That moment changed everything. This was no longer just a promotional campaign. It had become a responsibility.

Instead of making promises we couldn't keep, we immediately began calling guests to apologize for the delay and requested them to choose delivery dates after Tuesday so that every order could be served properly.

Inside our management team, the discussion changed completely. Budget was no longer the priority. Our only objective was to exceed every expectation. We decided that every complimentary sample should feel like a heartfelt gift rather than a marketing promotion.

Every package would include:

• A personalized thank-you letter.
• A Cadbury chocolate.
• A marker pen.
• A feedback card where guests could share their experience.
• Premium food containers.
• Brown paper carry bags instead of plastic bags.
• And even if a guest had not ordered bread, we decided to include freshly prepared rotis so that every meal felt complete.

The real challenge had just begun.

Around 4:00 PM that Sunday, our entire team set out across the city searching for suitable packaging material. Fortunately, many shops in Bairagarh were still open. We managed to arrange a large quantity of 600 ml jars, used the brown paper bags we had already purchased for a future project, and assigned all the printing work to a close friend with one request—"Everything must be ready by Monday evening."

The next task was even bigger. Nearly 4,000 orders had to be carefully sorted according to dates, lunch and dinner schedules, addresses, and delivery routes over the following fifteen days.

It became one of the largest food distribution operations we had ever undertaken. When the deliveries finally began, every bit of hard work felt worthwhile.

One day, a guest came specially to the restaurant just to meet me. Unfortunately, I wasn't there. The staff connected him with me over the phone. He simply said,

Those words have stayed with me ever since.

Soon, appreciation started pouring in from every corner of Bhopal. Families... Students... Working professionals... People from every neighbourhood. People of every age.

Only a few days earlier, we had been asking ourselves a simple question: "How can more people experience the taste of Lazeez Hakeem?"

The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple. Let people taste it first.

So we created an affordable, pocket-friendly menu, published it in Dainik Bhaskar, and invited the people of Bhopal to experience our food through complimentary samples.

Looking back today, I don't remember it as a campaign that distributed 4,000 free food samples. I remember it as the day when thousands of people placed their trust in Lazeez Hakeem. And we did everything possible to honour that trust.

For the love, encouragement, and faith that the people of Bhopal placed in us that day, I remain deeply grateful.

Sometimes, the greatest success is not measured by how much you sell. It is measured by how many hearts you earn.