In 2014, a group of college friends visited the Institute of Palliative Medicine in Kozhikode and left with a life-changing conviction: food can be service. In 2016, with ₹8 lakh and a yellow food truck, Fulaij and his brothers launched Ikkayees. Today it serves authentic Malabar flavours across India, Kuwait, and Liverpool, crowned Merseyside's Curry Restaurant of the Year 2025.
-
There is a tea shop on the streets of Mughadar, South Beach, Kozhikode.
-
The owner, known to everyone simply as Ikkakka, sold tea for ₹1. Every cup came with something the price tag could never reflect: warmth, dignity, and the quiet conviction that every person who walked through the door deserved to be treated like a brother.
-
Fulaij and his friends used to meet for chai in the evening at that quaint tea shop. Inspired by Ikkakka, who sold tea at just ₹1 to support his patrons, mainly fishermen and students, they decided to build something rooted in the same spirit.
-
That something became Ikkayees. And it has since crossed oceans.
The Origin — A Six-Year-Old Girl, a Palliative Care Ward, and a Purpose That Changed Everything
-
The story of Ikkayees begins in 2014 with a group of college students deeply moved by their experiences at the Institute of Palliative Medicine in Kozhikode, the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Participation in Palliative Care in developing countries. At an umbrella-making camp organised by the institute, Fulaij and his six close-knit friends met Kulsu, a spirited six-year-old girl from Odisha. Stirred by the struggles of chronically ill patients, these young hearts vowed to make a difference. They volunteered at the institute, organised fundraisers, and spread awareness about palliative care.
-
Attending that charity orientation camp changed the founder's vision of life entirely. Witnessing the resilience and joy of those with disabilities inspired him to make a positive impact. "According to me, my business is not about what and how much we make. It is more about what the world got from it," Fulaij reflects.
-
The name they chose carried all of this meaning within it. People of Kozhikode often address each other as "Ikkakka," meaning brother, as a means of respect and love. The team decided there was no better word to describe their food truck than "Ikkayees," symbolising brotherhood and generosity. The food truck, much like Ikkakka's tea shop, became a haven of warmth and community.
The Yellow Truck — ₹8 Lakh and an Unstoppable Mission
-
In February 2016, the Ikkayees Food Truck rolled onto the streets of Calicut. With an initial investment of ₹8 lakh, this bright yellow truck quickly became a beloved fixture along Kozhikode Beach. The aroma of authentic Malabar cuisine drew locals and travellers alike, but it was never just about the food. Ikkayees provided a platform for economically disadvantaged women, allowing them to showcase their culinary skills and earn a livelihood. Widows, single mothers, and marginalised individuals found empowerment and dignity through this initiative.
-
Rather than running like any other eatery, Ikkayees supplied homemade snacks made by women with culinary skills at their own homes, with the aim of women's upliftment and giving exposure to women in public. Every plate served carried a story behind it. Every rupee earned was shared with purpose.
-
The first Ikkayees outlet opened on Mavoor Road, Kozhikode in 2017, embodying the same spirit of giving back. When financial instability loomed and the original team had to part ways, Fulaij turned the food truck into a thriving restaurant, refusing to let the mission dissolve with the personnel changes.
The Strategic Genius — Crisis Response as Brand Identity
-
The boldest move Ikkayees ever made was the one it made repeatedly, without planning, whenever Kerala needed it most.
-
During the Nipah Virus outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2018 and 2019 Kerala floods, Ikkayees transmuted into a hub of relief efforts, providing essential supplies to those in desperate need. When workers were left hungry during strikes, Ikkayees stepped in, ensuring no one went to bed on an empty stomach. Ikkayees organised blood donation camps in collaboration with the Blood Donor's Kerala Association. Initiatives like "Sulaimaniyil Orithiri Mohabath," raising funds by selling Sulaimani tea, showcased their commitment to social responsibility.
-
Every crisis response built something that advertising budgets cannot buy: community trust. Ikkayees was no longer just a restaurant. It was a neighbour. A brother. The living embodiment of the name it carried.
-
And the food itself was always the anchor. Authentic Malabar recipes, appam, stew, biryani, elaneer chicken, Fish Mango Curry, Chemmeen Biryani, prepared without shortcuts, without artificial colours, and without compromising the family traditions that gave every dish its soul.
From Kozhikode to Liverpool — A Global Brand Built on Craft
-
From the bustling food streets of Calicut to the vibrant avenues of Liverpool, Ikkayees carved a unique path in the world of gastronomy, blending delicious Malabar cuisine with a profound commitment to social good.
-
The Liverpool branch became the flagship of Ikkayees UK, and the recognition followed swiftly. Ikkayees Indian Restaurant Liverpool earned a Google rating of 4.8 out of five stars from more than 1,700 reviews. The brand was crowned Merseyside's Curry Restaurant of the Year at a ceremony held at Moor Hall Hotel and Spa, Birmingham, in September 2025. For a brand that started with a ₹1 cup of tea in a Kozhikode beach-side shop, winning a national award on British soil is the kind of recognition that writes itself into history.
-
Ikkayees serves authentic Malabar flavours across India, Kuwait, and the UK. Under the leadership of Prabeesh Kumar Krishna as COO of Ikkayees UK Ltd, the UK operations are being built into Britain's most trusted Indian hospitality brand, rooted in authentic flavours, driven by operational excellence, and guided by the same purpose that launched a yellow food truck in 2016.
-
- The Vision 2030, as stated by the brand's leadership, targets ₹150 crore in turnover, 250-plus new jobs, 5 fine-dining restaurants, 40-plus QSR outlets, and expansion across the Middle East, UK, and Europe. Structure before scale. Brand before volume. Purpose before profit.
The Business Lesson — When Your Why Is Strong Enough, the How Always Follows
-
The sharpest lesson from Ikkayees' journey is one that every founder building in the food and hospitality space needs to hear: the most powerful brand in any category is the one that stands for something the product alone could never communicate.
-
The second lesson is about the compounding power of community trust. Every meal served to flood victims, every blood donation camp organised, every woman empowered through a homemade snack partnership added one more layer to a foundation of goodwill that no competitor could replicate and no crisis could shake.
Sources: Ikkayees India Official Website, InvestUp Media, LinkedIn, UFindus UK
