From Coffee Shop to a Burger Empire: The Daily Deli Story of Haaris Habib

When you walk into a Daily Deli Co. outlet today, with its sizzling smash burgers and buzzing young crowd, it’s hard to imagine that this brand began not with burgers, but with coffee and doodh patti in a small corner of Lahore’s Arfa Karim Tower.

In my Business Success Stories series, I’ve already explored inspiring entrepreneurial journeys like that of Fazail Raza, who turned his own challenges into a thriving business. Today, I sat down with Haaris Habib, the man behind Daily Deli Co., to hear his story.

As a business graduate myself with a keen interest in entrepreneurship, I wanted to go beyond the usual “success tale” and uncover the struggles, mistakes, and lessons that could truly guide anyone dreaming of starting a food business.

And let me tell you, Haaris’s journey is packed with reality checks, moments of resilience, and advice every aspiring entrepreneur in Pakistan should hear.

The First Spark: From MBA Student to Coffee Shop Owner

Haaris was pursuing his MBA in 2015 when the spark ignited. At the time, he had landed a marketing job at an international restaurant chain, Johnny Rockets. “It was Allah’s plan for me, as I never applied for this job,” Haaris recalls. That job exposed him to restaurant operations and expansion strategies.

While researching new outlets, he spotted a gap at Arfa Karim Tower, offices, freelancers, and hardly any good food options at that time. That gap gave birth to the idea of a small coffee shop.

“I went to my father and asked for Rs. 2 million. He said that it’s my money now and I don’t need to worry about it.” 

Haaris shared. That one sentence gave him confidence to step into business, even though his mother was worried, as it was the money saved for his wedding.

The coffee shop opened on 25th December 2014. Customers queued up, and guess what? The fryer broke down, and he had to shut it down within hours. That’s when reality hit: business is never as smooth as it looks on paper.

Lesson for new entrepreneurs: Business plans are useful, but the real learning begins once you open the doors. Expect surprises.

Tea Tricks and the “Chota” Strategy

In those early days, Haaris and his team improvised to attract customers.

“We sold doodh patti in glass cups, with the whole making process open to see. It became famous really fast.”

At that time, it was quite an interesting thing to do there. He even hired a short man to walk around taking orders in the food court. Everyone called him “Chota.” The gimmick worked, customers loved it, until other vendors complained and the management banned it. 

Lesson: Sometimes, even the strategies that are working well need to be abandoned.

Now, he was adding different items to the menu as per the demand of the customers, like chips, cakes, tea, etc. These small experiments turned his coffee shop into a canteen. He tried everything from iced drinks to fruit salads. But burgers were still nowhere in sight.

Enter the Smash Burger Era

Burgers weren’t part of the plan at Arfa Karim Tower until one Ramadan that changed everything.

“After nearly a year, we had free time during Ramadan, so I asked my chef to experiment with smash burgers. I bought a hot plate, and after 20 days of trials, we built something close to the Johnny Rockets smash burger.”

When they finally launched the burger, customers were amazed. That was the turning point; burgers weren’t just another menu item, they were the brand’s future identity.

Even today, their original three burgers, Smoke House, Signature, and Cheesy Mushroom, are still bestsellers.

On Fear and Opportunity

One thing that struck me was Haaris’s fearless approach.

Did people around you try to stop you?
“Yes, many thought it wouldn’t work. But I believe opportunities are always out there, but for a limited time. The same idea can strike many people at the same time. The difference is who overcomes fear and implements it.” 

Background also matters in the formation of a mindset. He noticed, “In Punjab, many people go to the safer side. They will prefer to buy an existing business or franchise a business instead of building it from scratch. Many people want to franchise an international chain in Pakistan.” But Haaris is from Karachi and said that most people don’t fear starting a business there, so, same is the case with him.

“Yes, I feared when my batch mates were EARNING good in their jobs and I was hardly at breakeven, but that didn’t take away my ambitions.” 

Takeaway: Don’t wait for the “perfect idea.” Execution is what matters.

What does your brand name represent?

In Arfa Karim Tower, they had the same customers visiting them DAILY, so the Daily came from there. Now, Deli was the coffee shop model derived from a French word. In this model, there were ready-made items available for people to buy. This model was changed, but the name Daily Deli was born.

Fire, Failures, and Almost Quitting

Daily Deli’s path wasn’t quite easy. In fact, Haaris nearly gave up.

He once opened an outlet in DHA Phase 5 with partners. Four months in, a fire destroyed everything. Lawsuits followed, and suppliers demanded money back. They had no choice but to shut it down.

Later, even his original Arfa Karim Tower branch struggled with profitability. By 2016, frustrated, Haaris gave notice to shut down and even accepted a job in Islamabad. But something in him refused to quit. During the notice period, he doubled down, got investment, and rebuilt the brand.

Lesson: The urge to quit will come when you see failure. What defines an entrepreneur is whether you walk away or fight back.

Building a Team, Not Just a Business

From managing most of the things himself in the beginning, Haaris today leads a team of 400–500 employees.

“Many founders try to do everything themselves. That makes you self-employed, not a business owner. I delegated tasks, hired people, and focused on growth.” It’s exactly what EdLink’s founder, Fazail Raza, said when I interviewed him.

One small but smart move in Arfa Tower was hiring a female staff member at the juice counter. “Suddenly, more girls started visiting because they felt more comfortable. It boosted our traffic,” he recalled.

Advice for founders: Hire to grow, not to save pennies. Your job is to scale, not do everything.

He hired the right people who know the work. Those people established rules, SOPs, and processes which streamlined their entire operations and supply chain.

Initially, they didn’t have a detailed HR process at that time, but now, they have a structured HR process, and Haaris try to stay away from the small HR matters to avoid inequality. He does have an open-door policy for major issues, but low- to medium-level issues are typically resolved by the respective managers.

What do you look for when hiring staff for Daily Deli Co.?

“I mostly oversee the hiring of area managers now, as it’s a key position. I mostly see experience and work ethics, as he/she is going to manage at least three branches.” 

They now have SOPs and checklists in place so everyone knows what to do in a structured manner.

Note: Make SOPs in your business and ensure compliance.

Compliance is very important. He shared a story that one day, he visited a branch at around 2:00 AM, and the staff had already started cleaning (in the process of closing the restaurant). The closing time was 5:00 AM, and there were customers waiting. From that day, he made sure that this never happened again and even fired some people responsible for this.

“Training is a need of the hour for us, and we have established a department for training and development.”

What’s the biggest challenge in managing a restaurant team?

“Keeping employees motivated is one of the biggest HR challenges in the restaurant business.” 

For this purpose, he offers a market-competitive salary, which is a key motivation factor. Also, they have a no-rehiring policy now, as some employees had opened their own restaurants or tried to go to their competitors. So now, they have to think twice before leaving, as there will be no way back.

He also said that staff lie and it’s a real problem in the restaurant. Someone asked a favor for his child, and I later found out that he was unmarried. Stories like this are pretty common.

The Beef Battle: Ingredient Sourcing

How important is ingredient sourcing in your operations? How do you maintain the quality of the ingredients?

Running a premium burger chain in Pakistan isn’t just about grills and sauces; it’s about beef.

“Customers don’t forgive inconsistency. If you impress them once but disappoint them the second time, they won’t return.”

“We offer premium burgers, and beef consistency has huge importance in it. And it’s the most difficult thing to maintain, as you will hardly find any supplier that will provide you with the same beef quality every time. It’s very hard to determine if it’s grass-fed beef or grain-fed beef. You have to trust the vendor on it.”

“In 2018–19, our beef quality suddenly dipped. Customers complained about huge quality variation. It took us months to trace the problem,” Haaris recalled.

Lesson: In the food business, consistency is king. One bad experience can undo months of good work.

So, how did you overcome the consistency issue?

Now, Daily Deli works with a dedicated vendor, controlling fat ratios and sourcing processes. 

“We have the same vendor as we had from the beginning. So, we have achieved beef quality consistency with a lot of effort and difficulty. Now, we know the process, how much fat is required in the beef, which animal part is required for the meat for our burgers, and some other things.”

He said that if they need meat from a specific part and the vendor has to slaughter multiple animals for that purpose, it becomes difficult to sell the other parts in that quantity. But now, their supplier has aligned with us and those issues are easily handled. And it’s one of the biggest challenges in the expansion.

Haaris also warned:

“If a new entrant depends entirely on pre-processed patties from suppliers, the taste might not be consistent or in their hands. Customers will complain, and even the business might collapse.”

Advice for entrepreneurs: Control your supply chain. If vendors control your taste, they control your business.

What about spices and other ingredients?

They use local but branded spices and other ingredients, which help them keep the consistency of their quality and taste. 

“Initially, we used to buy imported ingredients, but during COVID-19 Pandemic, sourcing them became quite difficult. During that time, the local brands jumped in and provided decent alternatives to the imported products.”

From 200 Orders to 50,000 a Month

When I asked Haaris about his growth milestones, he smiled.

“In our first month, we got 100–200 orders. Now, we average around 50,000 orders per month.”

That’s not just growth, that’s a brand evolution. But it didn’t come easy.

Marketing Moves: From Facebook Groups to PSL Sponsorship

Haaris’s background in marketing gave Daily Deli an edge.

“In the start, I marketed in Facebook groups. Later, we shifted to Instagram and influencers. Recently, we even sponsored Lahore Qalandars in PSL, which took our brand perception to another level.”

He likes to do a lot of experiments as he is an idea machine, as I sensed. Because he liked the ideation part more than the execution, he gave the implementation part to a person and that person had worked with them for a very long time.

Of course, not every experiment worked. “We once tried a meme campaign, but it backfired. We had to remove it immediately.”

Tip: Marketing is trial and error. Be creative, but be ready to adapt fast.

How have services impacted your business?

“FoodPanda definitely helps in sales. But for the new restaurants, they can get stuck in a way that makes it harder for the new entrants to keep the pricing consistent.”

“But there are some issues with FoodPanda, like delivery delays due to multiple deliveries by riders. This thing impacts the restaurant’s reputation negatively because the customers think the food tastes good because of the restaurant, but actually, it’s not their fault.”

They also have their own app, which is bringing nearly the same order volume as the other food delivery services. So, they are happy with it.

Customers: The Funny, the Shocking, and the Difficult

Of course, no food business is without stories.

What’s the funniest customer moment?
“Once, an old man ordered 50 Diet 7UPs. Then he refused to pay, saying the logo ‘7UP Free’ meant it was free! He threatened to sue us. I thought he was joking. He wasn’t.”

Another time, delivery riders were tricked by fake addresses. “Someone took the food and ran out the back wall,” Haaris laughed.

These moments may sound funny, but they also highlight the constant challenges in customer management.

Who is your core customer? Office-goers, families, students, or any other?

They have not limited the audience. Youngsters visit their restaurant more, and families also visit. But it varies branch-to-branch, as there are some branches in which families visit more than the youngsters.

Prices have increased over time; it’s something that cannot be avoided due to inflation. But they have tried to stay competitive in the market with the quality and pricing.

Do customer choices change depending on the city or even within areas of the same city?

They introduce a product mix every month. Within a city, there is hardly any change, but preferences change when it comes to different cities. Even the average order amount differs in different cities.

How do you collect and respond to customer feedback?
Customers mostly give feedback on Google Maps, and they take feedback very seriously. Now, they are planning to get the services of an automation platform to get the real-time Google Maps feedback and notify the management about it.

Advice: In the food business, it is important to take the feedback seriously and improve processes, staff, and other things accordingly.

The Harsh Reality of the Food Business in Pakistan

Running a food business may look glamorous, but Haaris is brutally honest:

“It’s not a part-time business. You have to give your full time. Forget family and friends at the start. You’ll have to micromanage.”

Hard truth for beginners: If you think the food business is easy money, think again. It requires time, stress, and full-time commitment.

Looking Ahead: Bigger Dreams

So, what’s next? Haaris has his eyes set high.

“We want to expand nationwide, experiment with new products, and even go international.”

AI is changing many things. How do you see it changing the Fast Food industry in future?

On AI in food, he’s cautious but curious. “AI has potential, but in Pakistan, we lack systems to support it. Still, we’ll try to bring something new.”

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

If someone wants to start a food business, even from a small shop or stall, they need to:

• Understand the business
• Get some training by working as an employee
• Learn time management

Q: If someone wants to start a food business today, what should they know?
Haaris: “Do it full-time. Don’t think you can run it on the side.”

Q: What mindset is necessary?
Haaris: “Overcome fear. Employees fear risk. Entrepreneurs act despite fear.”

When I asked him about the difference between an entrepreneur’s mindset and that of an employee, his answer was clear:

“Employees fear starting a business and fear failing. Even if some business owners carry an employee mindset, they avoid risk, buy a franchise, or prefer existing models. But entrepreneurship is about acting despite fear.”

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain

My reflection as a business graduate: Haaris’s words reminded me that the biggest difference between dreaming and doing is courage.

Beyond Business: The Personal Side of Haaris Habib

Behind the numbers, outlets, and sizzling burgers, Haaris’s daily life looks very different from what most people imagine. As a founder, his role has shifted over time.

“In the beginning, I was managing everything; operations, marketing, even small details inside the restaurant,” he shared. 

Now, his partners look after different parts of the business, and Haaris focuses more on strategy, meetings, monitoring branches from cameras or by surprise visits, and keeping an eye on overall growth.

But this shift came at a cost. For the first six to seven years, Haaris admits he had no work-life balance. 

“I couldn’t make time for my family. Everything was about the business,” he said honestly. 

Only recently has he been able to create that balance and spend time with loved ones. Of course, entrepreneurship brings stress. For Haaris, cricket is escape. 

“Whenever I feel stressed, playing cricket helps me reset,” he smiled.

This personal side of Haaris shows that while business success demands sacrifice, it’s also about finding ways to stay grounded, recharge, and build the courage to keep moving forward.

Final Thoughts

From doodh patti to a burger empire, Haaris Habib’s Daily Deli journey is a masterclass in persistence, creativity, and resilience. For entrepreneurs reading this: don’t just admire the success, study the struggles. So the next time you grab a Daily Daily burger, remember: behind every bite is a story of risk, failure, and a dream that refused to die.

If you have a food business idea or want to start a burger, baking, catering, or any other food business, this story is like a lighthouse for you. Stay tuned for more real business stories like this. 

OLX Blog – Business Success Stories