24-year-old Astha Kunwar starts restaurant venture in Dhangadhi after abandoning plan to go abroad

Dhangadhi: Twenty-four-year-old Astha Kunwar of Dhangadhi has started her own business by launching Munchies Restaurant in Dhangadhi-8.

Kunwar, who completed her graduation in Information Technology (IT) last year, officially started the restaurant from Monday. The restaurant was inaugurated by Prajapati Joshi (Prakash), General Secretary of the Hoteliers Association of Kailali, during a program held on Monday. Association President Keshav Raj Pandey and Kunwar’s relatives were also present at the event.

Kunwar said she returned to Dhangadhi after spending a long time in Kathmandu and decided to give up her plan of going abroad to start a business in her hometown. “Nowadays, young people like me want to go abroad, but if I have to do something in my own country, I decided to do business and returned to Dhangadhi,” she said.

She said she established a company named Swadarth and started Munchies Restaurant under the company to make it easier to operate a business from her own place.

Kunwar said she has planned to establish Swadarth Foods and Organic Pvt. Ltd. from her birthplace Dhangadhi to produce frozen munchies, various pickles and chili oil and distribute them across the country.

The restaurant, located near Shivnagar Bridge along the Shahid Gate-Campus Chowk road in Dhangadhi-8, will provide different varieties of munchies at affordable prices.

“We have decided to sell our own frozen yams and pickles outside, while the restaurant will offer yams made from vegetables, paneer, chicken, millet, buckwheat and corn at reasonable prices,” she said. “Fat-free yams are available for Rs. 130, chicken yams for Rs. 160, paneer yams for Rs. 180, French fries for Rs. 150 and chicken sausage for Rs. 60.”

Kunwar said she started the business with the aim of doing something in her hometown and has already created employment opportunities for two women. She added that she plans to expand the business further and provide training and employment opportunities to women in need.

“We have trained two single women and are working with the participation of family members,” she said. “As we plan to sell and distribute our products nationwide, we aim to provide opportunities to other women and help them become capable of starting their own businesses in the future.”

Kunwar, who said the restaurant was launched targeting students, started the business with an investment of around Rs. 1.2 million. She also plans to expand the restaurant by opening branches in other locations.

She said she chose to return from Kathmandu and start the business in Dhangadhi because working in her hometown would be easier even while doing business within the country.