Our Story
From a school classroom to a salad brand
Shalini Tekale spent her early career as a primary school teacher. Cooking was always her real passion — a natural talent for building healthy, delicious salad recipes that friends and family kept asking for. In 2018, encouraged by her husband Shriram, she started making and selling salads from their own kitchen in Kothrud.
The Journey
Two branches, one mission.
A home kitchen experiment
Shalini starts making salads from her own Kothrud kitchen, encouraged by her husband, Shriram Tekale, to turn her cooking talent into a business. Early recipes come together with input from friend and chef Viraj Athavale.
Kothrud — the first outlet
Shalini and Shriram open their first physical outlet near Gandhi Bhavan, Kothrud, Pune, built on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Within months it's seating 40–50 regular customers a day.
Parvati — a second branch, mid-pandemic
Even as the first Covid wave forces many businesses to shut down, Shalini's Salads opens a second branch in Parvati — betting on delivery-first healthy food when people needed it most.
DeAsra Entrepreneur Excellence Award
Selected from 250 startups across Maharashtra, Shalini's Salads wins in the food category — presented by Dr. Anand Deshpande (DeAsra Foundation & Persistent Systems) and Neville Noronha (CEO, DMart).
Building it the right way
Having tried and stepped back from a traditional franchise model, Shalini and Shriram now run a hands-on Business Training programme instead — to help others build their own brand the right way, without the quality-control risks franchising brought.
DeAsra Entrepreneur Excellence Award 2023
Awarded to Shalini Tekale for outstanding business and marketing — recognition from DeAsra Foundation and Persistent Systems, judged against 250 startups from across Maharashtra.
Our Approach
Taste & Nutrition Together
Certified Nutritionists
Every recipe on our menu is reviewed and balanced by certified nutritionists, not just chefs.
Experienced Chefs
Our kitchen team brings professional culinary experience to what could otherwise be a plain bowl of vegetables.
Local & Fresh
Ingredients are sourced locally and prepared the same day — never stored overnight.
Want to Taste The Story?
Start with a 10-day trial, or explore the full menu.