Long before Friday Cravings occupied a
physical storefront it existed purely as a weekend experiment in a residential
kitchen. Co-founders Mayur, a biotech engineer with a lifelong passion for
cooking, and Swarada, a singer, launched the project during the pandemic. As
industrial MIDC power grids are always having weekly scheduled maintenance on
Fridays, Mayur found himself with a day off, and a reason to step behind the
stove.
The name Friday Cravings was a nod to that weekly routine. Operating
exclusively on Fridays, the home kitchen built a small, dedicated unit which
started receiving support from neighbors.
As the demand grew, Mayur and Swarada
eventually transitioned the concept into a full-fledged neighborhood
restaurant, bringing their joint family on board to support the move.
What truly shapes the kitchen's philosophy today is the couple’s love
for long-distance road trips. Their menu looks like a travel log, exploring
regional home-cooking styles and local food stalls. Maharashtrian staples sit
alongside South Indian dishes prepared with coconut oil, while the Kashmiri
Kahwa was recreated after a visit to Srinagar to giving a feeling of having it
at Dal Lake shikaras.
The founders also maintain a simple operational rule across the kitchen:
no palm oil, no adulteration in ghee or butter, artificial food colours,
soda or added MSG.
As the restaurant grew through word-of-mouth and recommendations, its
scope expanded as well. Alongside daily dine-in service, the team handles
outdoor catering for local family gatherings and community events, while
supplying fresh meal boxes to nearby corporate offices on a daily basis. By
finding the menu in their personal travels, Mayur and Swarada have built a
quiet, dependable fixture in Thane’s evolving food industry.
