The Rameshwaram Cafe owner question has a simple answer: the brand was founded by the married couple Raghavendra Rao, co-founder and CEO, and Divya Raghavendra Rao, co-founder and MD. They opened the first cafe in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, in 2021.
Below is their background, how the business grew, what has been reported about revenue, and the key events in the brand's short history.
- Founders
- Raghavendra Rao and Divya Raghavendra Rao
- Roles
- Co-founder and CEO; co-founder and MD
- First outlet
- Indiranagar, Bengaluru, 2021
- FY25 revenue (reported)
- Rs 17.8 crore
- Legal entity
- Not stated on official site
The founders
Raghavendra Rao is co-founder and CEO and a mechanical engineering graduate. Divya Raghavendra Rao is co-founder and MD, a chartered accountant and IIM Ahmedabad postgraduate. They are husband and wife, according to a December 2023 interview.
Their backgrounds split neatly between the kitchen and the business: Raghavendra Rao is associated with the food and operations side through his street-food start, while Divya Raghavendra Rao brings finance training as a chartered accountant. Both are named as co-founders on news coverage of the brand.
From pushcart to cafe
Raghavendra Rao started out selling idlis and dosas from a pushcart at Kumara Park in Bengaluru, then ran a business called IDC Kitchen for about two years before the Rameshwaram Cafe. The official site's timeline traces the founders' street-food beginnings to 2012 and the Rameshwaram Cafe name to 2021.
The name honours Rameswaram, the birthplace of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
How the brand grew
- 2021: Indiranagar and JP Nagar, Bengaluru
- 2022: Brookefield
- 2023: Rajajinagar
- January 2024: Madhapur, Hyderabad
- November 2024: Indiranagar 100 Feet Road
- 2025: Bengaluru airport Terminal 1 (the official site says 2024)
- December 2025: Viman Nagar, Pune
- March 2026: Churchgate, Mumbai
- April 2026: Bommasandra mega outlet, Hosur Road
The founders also launched Thirtha, a North Indian vegetarian quick-service concept on Cunningham Road, in August 2025, and a food truck called Rameshwaram On Wheels for events in May 2024. Awards listed on the official site include Best New QSR (South), Best Quick Service Restaurant and Iconic Traditional Vegetarian Cafe. MasterChef Australia's Gary Mehigan has eaten at the cafe, per news reports.
In about five years the business went from one Indiranagar counter to 10 outlets across four cities.
Rameshwaram Cafe revenue and net worth
No reliable figure for the founders' personal net worth has been published, and this guide does not estimate one. What has been reported is business revenue: Rs 17.8 crore in FY25, up from Rs 11 crore, with a profit after tax of Rs 2 crore, according to an August 2026 news report.
In 2023 the founders said about 30 percent of sales came from delivery apps.
The 2024 Rameshwaram Cafe blast
On 1 March 2024, a low-intensity explosive device went off at the Brookefield (Whitefield) outlet in Bengaluru, injuring several people. No one was killed. The outlet reopened on 8 March 2024.
The cafe resumed service a week after the incident, and the brand continued expanding afterwards, opening a second Indiranagar outlet later that year.
Other news
In May 2024 a Telangana food-safety inspection at the Madhapur outlet in Hyderabad found expired stock, and the founders apologised. In February 2026 airport pricing drew attention when a Rs 315 ghee podi idli bill went viral. In March 2026 the Pune municipal corporation removed unauthorised extensions at the Viman Nagar outlet.
In July 2025 the founders said there were no immediate plans for Chennai, despite frequent questions about a Chennai outlet.
What is next
Dubai was announced in November 2024 and later said to be scheduled for 2026, but no opening has been confirmed as of October 2026. Chennai, Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad and Surat have been mentioned as plans only. On franchising, see the franchise page.
How the business works
The cafes run on a fast, standing-room darshini format with token-based ordering, which keeps tables turning over quickly. The menu is all vegetarian and leans on a short list of high-volume signatures such as ghee podi idli and benne dosa. Delivery is a meaningful part of sales: in 2023 the founders put it at about 30 percent.
The founders have also talked about expanding carefully. In a December 2023 interview they described a tightly controlled partner model. Today the official franchise page says the brand is not offering franchises.
Official channels
The brand's official website is therameshwaramcafe.org, and its Instagram is @therameshwaramcafe. The official contact page lists an office at 119, 12th B Cross, 19th Main, JP Nagar 2nd Phase, Bengaluru 560078, with a listed number of +91 81519 99191.
Questions and answers
Who is the owner of the Rameshwaram Cafe?
It was founded by Raghavendra Rao (co-founder and CEO) and Divya Raghavendra Rao (co-founder and MD), a married couple.
What is the Rameshwaram Cafe net worth?
No reliable valuation or net worth figure is public. Reported revenue was Rs 17.8 crore in FY25.
When was the Rameshwaram Cafe started?
The first outlet opened in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, in 2021. The founders' street-food beginnings go back to 2012, per the official site.
What happened in the Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast?
A low-intensity blast at the Brookefield outlet on 1 March 2024 injured several people, with no deaths. The outlet reopened on 8 March 2024.
Why is it called Rameshwaram Cafe?
The name honours Rameswaram, the birthplace of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Sources
- The Rameshwaram Cafe official site
- MediaNews4U (Dec 2023)
- Telangana Today (Dec 2023)
- The Federal (Dec 2023)
- Whalesbook (Aug 2026)
- magicpin listing, Churchgate
- The News Minute (Mar 2024)
- Deccan Herald (Mar 2024)
- News Arena India (May 2024)
- Asianet Newsable (Feb 2026)
- Curly Tales (Mar 2026)
- Restaurant India (Aug 2025)
- Restaurant India (May 2024)
- The Daily Guardian (Jul 2025)
Last checked: 14 October 2026