Every successful business has defining moments.

Some happen in the kitchen.

Some happen in the dining hall.

And some begin with a simple telephone call.

For Lazeez Hakeem®️, one of the biggest transformations in its journey did not begin with an app or a website. It began with a vision—to deliver great food across Bhopal long before online food ordering became a part of everyday life.

The Beginning of a Bigger Dream

For years, Lazeez Hakeem®️ operated on a traditional landline number ending with 181, 182 and 183, numbers that had become a part of the family's legacy.

But as the business expanded, we wanted something more memorable—something that reflected professionalism and our growing ambition.

That is when we acquired the now well-known number:

It was more than just a telephone number.

It represented a commitment.

A commitment to serve every corner of Bhopal through home delivery.

Every call mattered.

Every customer mattered.

Before Apps, There Was a Call Centre

As orders increased, maintaining customer records manually became almost impossible.

To solve this, we started using a customised version of Tally for delivery management.

Because Tally could identify customers through both their names and phone numbers, it became our first digital customer database.

Every phone call gradually built something extraordinary.

• Customer names.
• Addresses.
• Order history.
• Delivery preferences.

Years before CRM software became common, we had already started building our own offline customer relationship system.

With every order, our delivery network expanded.

Then Came Foodpanda

Around 2008, something unexpected happened.

One afternoon, while we were working inside our call centre, a representative from Foodpanda walked in.

At that time, online food ordering was almost unheard of in Bhopal.

Most restaurants weren't even interested in listening to the idea.

The executive explained that Foodpanda wanted restaurants to prepare and deliver orders received through their platform.

There was no restaurant app.

No vendor dashboard.

No automated integrations.

Orders were simply communicated over phone calls.

It sounded revolutionary.

We immediately said yes.

A Decision That Changed Everything

The next question surprised us.

Our answer was simple.

Delivery would always be free.

They asked again.

Our response remained unchanged.

There would be no minimum order value.

Whether the customer ordered a single dish or a complete family meal, we wanted to serve them.

The Foodpanda executive admitted something we never forgot.

No restaurant in Bhopal was willing to partner with them.

Not only did we agree...

We welcomed the idea wholeheartedly.

An Offer We Never Expected

Impressed by our confidence and commitment, Foodpanda's Delhi office made us an extraordinary offer.

If we successfully executed the partnership, Lazeez Hakeem®️ would not be charged any commission.

That trust became the beginning of a long and successful relationship.

Soon, Foodpanda launched a major promotional campaign where customers could place orders worth ₹501 by paying only ₹1.

Since Lazeez Hakeem®️ was their strongest organised partner in Bhopal, the campaign brought thousands of new customers to our restaurant.

By then, our offline customer database had already crossed 6,000 customers.

Expanding the Kitchen Network

Growing demand required faster deliveries.

Around 2012–2013, we expanded our kitchen network by establishing dedicated kitchens at 10 No. Market and Indrapuri.

The idea was simple.

• Prepare food from the nearest kitchen.
• Deliver faster.
• Serve fresher.

Today, this seems obvious.

Back then, it was a completely new approach.

Turning Tally into an Online Delivery Engine

Managing multiple kitchens manually was becoming impossible.

We needed technology that simply didn't exist.

During our search, one name repeatedly came up—

Mr. Sagar Rajput.

His company, Sagar Info Solutions, specialised in Tally solutions.

When we met him, we discovered someone who understood both accounting systems and operational challenges.

Instead of saying "It can't be done,"

he said,

His customised solutions allowed:

• Central call centre orders to sync with outlet Tally systems.
• Orders to automatically appear in outlet sales records.
• Fax machines to print orders instantly at different kitchens.
• Billing to remain fully under Lazeez Hakeem®️.

What seemed impossible became operational reality.

We invested in licensed Tally software, multiple user licenses, fax machines, networking and customised development.

Years before cloud POS systems became common, we had already built our own connected restaurant network.

Even today, Mr. Sagar Rajput and Sagar Info Solutions continue to be trusted technology partners, and we remain deeply grateful for their dedication, guidance and long-standing support.

Building Our Own Technology

As online ordering continued to grow, we realised another truth.

The future would not belong to offline systems alone.

With the encouragement of well-wisher Navdeep Singh (Katyani Telecom), we began exploring a fully web-based restaurant ecosystem.

This journey led us to Digimind Technology, where experienced professionals including Ashish Pyasi and Anup Upadhyay helped us visualise something far bigger than a restaurant website.

Their explanation was beautifully simple.

Connecting these three worlds would become the foundation of our digital future.

The First Complete Digital Ecosystem

Together, we built a fully customised platform that included:

• Website
• Mobile Application
• Master Dashboard
• Online Order Management
• Customer Database
• Payment Gateway (CCAvenue, before Razorpay existed)

The first version of our call centre software was ready within months.

Compared to Tally, it felt slower.

Internet speeds were limited.

Servers were expensive.

Everything depended on connectivity.

Yet we believed one thing.

Growing with Every Challenge

As downloads crossed 10,000 users, server capacity became a challenge.

Bandwidth had to be increased.

Infrastructure expanded.

Annual software expenses grew significantly.

Despite the costs, we continued investing because we knew digital transformation was not an expense.

Creating an In-House Technology Team

During this journey, one of our well-wishers, Dr. Manu Gupta, suggested something that would permanently change our approach.

Instead of depending entirely on external development teams...

Why not build our own?

That advice introduced us to Aman Kanthal, a student from BITS Pilani.

While continuing his studies, Aman joined us to strengthen our technology initiatives.

He introduced us to emerging programming languages, modern application development and the future of cloud-based restaurant technology.

Soon, Lazeez Hakeem®️ became one of the few hospitality brands in Madhya Pradesh to actively recruit interns from BITS Pilani.

Competing alongside some of India's biggest corporations, we were proud to welcome talented young engineers who believed in our vision.

Technology Continues to Evolve

Over the years, technology has changed dramatically.

Subscription-based software replaced expensive custom infrastructure.

Cloud platforms replaced local servers.

Modern POS systems replaced complex integrations.

But one thing never changed.

Our willingness to embrace innovation before it became mainstream.

More Than Food. A Legacy of Innovation.

When people look at Lazeez Hakeem®️ today, they see a restaurant.

What they don't always see are the thousands of phone calls...

The handwritten delivery registers...

The customised Tally integrations...

The fax machines...

The late-night software testing...

The countless technology experiments...

And the people who believed in our vision before the world understood it.

Innovation has always been part of our journey.

Not because technology was easy.

But because serving our guests better has always been worth every challenge.