From “side hustle” to a $100 million business: My Muscle Chef’s 3 business growth tips

My Muscle Chef started out as a “side hustle” for brothers Tushar and Nishant Menon, with a small commercial kitchen in Potts Point where their dad helped out with meal prep. Seven years later they have 450 staff and deliver some 300,00 meals per week. My Muscle Chef is stocked at over 1,600 retailers and the brothers are proud to be market leaders when it comes to high protein functional foods, weight loss, performance and muscle gain. “And we never compromise on taste!” says Tushar. 

So what’s behind this phenomenal growth and dominance in what is now a crowded market? Here are Tushar and Nishant’s three key tips for growing your business.

My Muscle Chef has digital DNA. It was born in and for a digital world. And that DNA stood it in good stead as COVID-19 saw a dramatic spike in orders. “We could allocate resources quickly and respond rapidly to increased enquiries and subscriptions,” says Nishant.

But it’s co-founders have since discovered that the retail element of the business is just as important. While 70% of meals are ordered online, the retail channel is growing fast. 

“Signing up for a meal subscription can be a significant investment,” acknowledges Tushar. “So the retail outlets play a critical role in allowing our customers to try the product before they sign up to a meal program online.” 

Moreover, that My Muscle Chef customers can pick up a quick meal or snack on the go from any one of over 1,600 retailers, is great for the brand exposure and customer convenience. The website’s stockist page is key then to driving brand awareness and customer loyalty.

“Eighteen months ago we conducted an in-house data research exercise to better understand our customers and how they interact with the brand,” explains Nishant. “It completely altered our business and marketing strategies, transforming My Muscle Chef from a purely transactional business to a lifestyle brand.” 

Embracing data driven decision-making meant an increase in personalisation. “We could follow the journey of a new customer but also more effectively follow up existing customers based on their history and preferred channels,” Nishant explains. So not only did their subscriber base grow, they successfully re-engaged existing and past customers as the relevant information was directed to the right customer and the right time. 

“With data and the right technology for analysing it,” says Tushar, “we could find out who our customers really are, not just who we think they are.” And the impact of this data-driven approach on the bottom line? A fivefold increase in revenue.

Having a website which clearly communicates to existing and potential customers has been critical to My Muscle Chef’s success. 

The homepage is designed to cater to everyone – from first time visitors to regular subscribers. Customers can choose from preset bundles where meals are already selected, or an à la carte style pick and choose for maximum flexibility.

Transparency is key to helping customers manage their order flow well and all the important information is easily found – including the list of retail stockists for that all important try-before-you-buy option. 

The website combines the appeal of maximum choice with maximum efficiency and simplicity. “We want our customer to feel completely in control of their meals, no matter which option they choose,” says Nishant. “And a quick and easy checkout experience is fundamental to customer satisfaction.” 

A page highlighting customer success stories and feedback is an important part of the site because, as Nishant says, “our customers are our best ambassadors so it makes sense to give them a platform on which to share their experiences and transformations.”

Tushar and Nishant have transformed their business no less dramatically than their My Muscle Chef customers have transformed their fitness and nutrition. Fit, fast and agile, My Muscle Chef shows just what’s possible when it comes to business growth. Key to that transformation has been a diet which:

• Relishes its digital DNA but doesn’t limit itself to being digital only
• Loads up on data and uses it for maximum impact
• Offers plenty of options without overloading the plate