ISN Exclusive: Nikhil Kamath invests in Rameshwaram Cafe’s rival Cafe Amudham

Nikhil Kamath – the popular co-founder of trading platform Zerodha, a celebrity podcaster and an active angel investor – has invested Rs 4-5 crore in Cafe Amudham, a quick service restaurant (QSR), built on the back of inspiration from the success of The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, sources told IndianStartupNews (ISN).

Cafe Amudham, popular for its ghee-laden dosas and idlis, is Kamath’s latest indulgence after having backed Third Wave Coffee, a popular coffee chain, and other food companies in the past.

While Cafe Amudham may appear to be similar to The Rameshwaram Cafe in appearance, taste and more, it has followed a different playbook, which has helped it attract popular investors like Nikhil Kamath.

“Cafe Amudham is more of a QSR game which does what a McDonald’s and similar eating joints do. They open multiple outlets in different cities and expand fast,” a source told ISN.

But The Rameshwaram Cafe is more focused on going deeper in Bengaluru, its home ground and creating a strong local brand recall.

Cafe Amudham and Kamath chose not to reply to ISN’s queries.

Reportedly, Cafe Amudham was started by Priyanka Rudrappa who reportedly used to run an outlet of The Rameshwaram Cafe before founding her own brand a few years ago.