From Dubai to Zero Miles Sopore: Jibran Khan building north Kashmir’s first café brand

Malik Nisar

Mesmerised by the beauty of Kashmir’s Gurez valley, Jibran Khan was passionate about tourism since his childhood. To fulfil his passion, he graduated in tourism studies after his Class 12th.

However, his parents thought otherwise. They wanted him to look for a stable job instead of going after his childhood dream. That made him join an IT MNC in Chandigarh. But his desire to work for Kashmir tourism brought him back to start a tour and travel company in his home district of Bandipora, catering to the tourists interested in visiting Gurez.

It turned into a temporary affair, as the travel business didn’t flourish given the untoward situation Kashmir faced on and off.

“The eating out culture in Kashmir from last few years inspired me to go for food business. So my idea was to provide a space to the youth of north which suits their taste so that they don’t have to go to Srinagar to look for such places and food”

Jibran Khan, Founder and Owner, Zero Miles – Grill & Café  

On his parents’ advice, Jibran again left Kashmir and joined another MNC,  this time in Dubai. Despite a well-paying job and comfortable life in the city of dreams and gold, his passion didn’t let him stay there. At the end of 2017, he left the second job and returned to Kashmir to do something that interests him.

Thinking that the situation in Kashmir is not conducive for tourism, Jibran started exploring other business ideas. Given his interest in hospitality, when his cousin Javid Ahmad Mohroo told him about opening a café, it struck at once.

After a lot of research and discussions, the cousin duo decided to set up Zero Miles – Grill & Café in apple town Sopore.

After the grand success of Zero Miles, as the café become the most popular eat out place, not just in Sopore town, but the whole of north Kashmir, there is no looking back for 34-year-old Jibran Khan.

“My motive is the expansion of the franchise to other towns, because of that I started it from Sopore, then to other parts of north. Most franchises go from city to town, but ours will be the first one to grow from town to city. And I also want to bring the facilities on doors of the people in rural areas of north”

Encouraged by the success of the venture, Jibran started another outlet in his hometown Bandipora and today Zero Miles has turned into a brand with a franchise outlet in every town of North Kashmir.

“The eating-out culture in Kashmir from last few years inspired me to go for food business. So my idea was to provide a space to the youth of north which suits their taste so that they don’t have to go to Srinagar to look for such places and food,” says Jibran.

Jibran is not someone who gives up easily. After one year of the inception of Zero Miles, business in Kashmir was put on halt due to abrogation of Article 370, so was the Zero Miles, but he faced every situation like the ship against storm and kept increasing the outlets in other parts of north Kashmir with each passing year. Today, Zero Miles has six franchise outlets with two in progress.

“Profit and loss is the part of business, but over the years positivity and patience played a big role in reaching the place where I am today,” he says.

Jibran says his franchise of food outlets differs from other establishments in the valley because of the quality of food Zero Miles provide to its customers. “The love and energy our team puts in bringing up new food concepts that magically turns everything into gold.”

“We have designed every outlet on famous things related to a particular place because its keeps people connected to their roots and also brings uniqueness to our franchise from the rest others”

A few years before food outlets with quality service were limited mostly to Srinagar city, but Jibran took this concept to northern towns and started his first outlet in Sopore, then to other places.

“My motive is the expansion of the franchise to other towns, because of that, I started it from Sopore, then to other parts of the north. Most franchises go from city to town, but ours will be the first one to grow from town to city. And I also want to bring the facilities on doors of the people in rural areas of the north,” says Jibran.

Shelter in rural style

The interior of every outlet of Zero Miles is designed on a traditional pattern of a particular place like Sopore is often associated with the cliché of 3 R’s Ropaye (Money), Rub (Slush), and Reade (Horse cart) and  Bandipora for 3As- Alim (Knowledge), Adab (Literature) and Aab(Water) to make it attractive and attach the people with their identity. Fancy tables, beautiful chairs and various sections are allotted to each section of the place. The minutest yet eye-catching is Tonga (horse cart) on the wall of the Sopore outlet of Zero Miles.

“We have designed every outlet on famous things related to a particular place because its keeps people connected to their roots and also brings uniqueness to our franchise from the rest of others,” says Jibran

Jibran Khan is a real source of inspiration for many youngsters who want to pursue their dreams. A self-taught man from Bandipora who has mastered all the skills for being a young entrepreneur.

The business that was started with just two people now has 32 employees, who manage the franchise, handle the sourcing the supply of raw materials to various outlets and look after marketing and R&D.