Dosa shop owner earning ₹1 lakh a month is 'rich'? Internet says, 'In India, ₹80K/month job is respectable...'

A Thane-based dosa restaurant owner has gone viral after revealing how his business finances have changed over the years, saying that although his outlet once generated monthly revenue of ₹12-13 lakh, he now manages to save only around ₹1 lakh a month after covering expenses.

The owner of Benne Rush shared details of his business during a conversation with content creator Utkarsh Verma in a video, where he spoke about the costs of running a restaurant, seasonal demand, and entrepreneurship.

Restaurant once earned ₹12-13 lakh in monthly revenue

During the interview, the owner said the restaurant enjoyed strong business soon after it opened, with monthly revenue reaching ₹12-13 lakh as customer demand grew.

However, he said sales have slowed over time because of a drop in customer footfall.

Explaining the restaurant's expenses, he said the business spends around ₹1 lakh every month on rent and nearly ₹1.5 lakh on staff salaries. After adding electricity bills, raw materials and other operating costs, the total monthly expenditure comes to about ₹4 lakh.

Asked about his current earnings, the owner said he now saves only around ₹1 lakh each month after meeting all business expenses.

The owner attributed the decline in earnings to seasonal changes, saying the restaurant experiences lower customer turnout during the summer, which impacts sales.

According to him, business improves during the winter months as more customers visit the outlet.

Despite the fall in profits, he said he still prefers being an entrepreneur rather than working for someone else.

When asked what advice he would give to people who want to leave their jobs and start a business, he said, “Definitely, ek baar aapke mind mein thought aayega ki haan, main ye quit karke ye karun. But definitely, you should go for it. Apna dream hamesha follow karo. Bhale ek baar failure hoga, ek-do baar hoga, but end of the day, success aani wali hai.”

Viral post sparks revenue vs profit debate

The video also featured an on-screen message that read, “In India, an ₹80K/month job is considered respectable. A dosa restaurant owner earning ₹12 lakh a month often isn't. Strange definition of success.”

The clip quickly gained attention online, with many social media users debating the difference between revenue and profit.

One user wrote, “Indeed amazing, he is generating employment as well.”

Another commented, “If that's the profit it's amazing, if it's the revenue still amazing as he is giving job to people.”

A third user said, “Even if 12lacs is the revenue per month, yet the overhead costs remains at 4-5lacs(staff, rent, electricity etc.) only the raw material costs would exceed. Still he would make a profit of 4-5lacs a month from 12lacs revenue. It's not bad at all.”

Others, however, questioned the business's profit margins.

One user wrote, “35L ke investment mai 40L ka ghata .. revenue is not profit. Horrible margins. 12L revenue and 1L profit is so wrong.”

Another commented, “Revenue is 12 L, he is not taking any Network Profit!”

A third user added, “12 Lakh is revenue not Pay. There is a difference.”