Humble Beginnings, Ambitious Dreams
From Bunking Classes to Building Dreams - The Inspiring Journey of
Akash R Nayak-a young, driven, and inspiring Entrepreneur
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About Akash R Nayak
Akash R Nayak, a passionate entrepreneur from Karnataka, started young. Influenced by his mother’s business mindset, he entered the world of entrepreneurship at 17, helping run a wellness centre. By 21, he launched Purple Haze Designers, a fashion startup focused on affordable style with purpose.
Fueling Dreams with Flavor
While fashion thrived, Akash’s love for food led him to open The Tribal Restro Café in Bengaluru—a rooftop hookah café celebrating tribal art, culture, and culinary experiences. When a sudden government ban closed all hookah cafés, Akash didn’t give up. He pivoted and rebranded the café into Bengaluru’s first tribal-themed rooftop seafood restaurant, retaining all staff and offering gourmet coastal cuisine at affordable prices.
Inspiring Change, Empowering Youth
Through resilience and vision, Akash has created dozens of jobs, mentored young founders, and spoken at colleges and events. His mission: to inspire India’s youth to create, lead, and build. He’s now growing The Tribal brand across India and preparing to launch Tribal Foods—ready-to-eat meals and spice blends rooted in regional tradition.
Entrepreneurial Journey
The First Spark: Learning by Doing
Find all the tools you’ll need to create advanced websites in one place. Stop waisting time searching At just 17, Akash took his first professional steps by assisting in his mother’s wellness center near Christ College. More than just an intern, he approached the business with the mindset of a professional—offering marketing ideas, bringing in customers, and improving operations. His insistence on being compensated wasn’t about money—it was about accountability and recognition. His mother agreed, and Akash earned his first salary of ₹5,000 a month—a defining moment that set his trajectory as a business leader.for solutions.
Purple Haze Designers: Fashion with a Purpose
In 2017, at the age of 21, Akash founded Purple Haze Designers, a garment manufacturing startup with a mission to offer stylish yet affordable clothing to underserved markets. While many chased luxury, Akash focused on accessibility—blending aesthetics with affordability.
Passion Beyond Profit: From Threads to Taste
Inspired by the ambiance of hookah cafés and the cultural energy they brought to urban youth, Akash envisioned a space of his own—not just a café, but a cultural experience. This vision would later become The Tribal Restro Café—his boldest venture yet.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Customer-first thinking: Every idea began with solving a real problem or delivering real joy.
Calculated risk-taking: Whether launching a fashion line or opening a rooftop café, he understood the stakes and owned the outcomes.
Purpose-driven vision: Profit was never the sole motivator—impact, employment, and experience were always part of the equation.
Resilience & Pivot
Every entrepreneur faces obstacles—but it’s how one responds to them that defines success. For Akash R Nayak, one of the most pivotal moments in his journey came not during a launch, but during a crisis.
A Sudden Shutdown: The Hookah Ban Crisis
Just months after opening The Tribal Restro Café—a rooftop hookah café infused with tribal art, music, and food—the Karnataka government imposed an immediate statewide ban on all hookah cafés. The decision impacted over 900 businesses, forcing them to shut doors without notice. For most café owners, this marked the end. But for Akash, it was a call to adapt, not retreat.
The Comeback: Stronger Than Before
The relaunch wasn’t easy—but it was impactful. Within weeks:
Foot traffic began to rise, fueled by word of mouth and influencer reviews.
The café’s new identity sparked fresh interest from a broader audience.
What could have been a shutdown became a comeback story admired by many in Bengaluru’s business and food circles.
The Pivot: From Hookah to Seafood
Akash saw an opportunity in his passion: traditional Indian seafood cuisine. With limited time, dwindling resources, and high stakes, he decided to rebrand and relaunch The Tribal as:
Bengaluru’s first rooftop, tribal-themed, authentic seafood restaurant.
1. Rewriting menu with coastal delicacies inspired by Indian culinary traditions.
2. Redesigning customer experience to focus on food, culture, & tribal heritage.
3.Reintroducing The Tribal to the city—not as a café.
Standing by His Team
Instead of cutting his losses or laying off staff, Akash made a bold choice:
1. He kept every employee on payroll.
2. He provided food, accommodation, and emotional support to his team during the uncertain period.
3. He refused to close shop, even as revenues halted and operational costs continued.
This commitment wasn't just about loyalty—it was about leadership. Akash understood that businesses can be rebuilt, but people and culture are much harder to regain.
The Tribal Café: A Vision Turned Reality
In the heart of Bengaluru, perched high above the bustling streets of JP Nagar, The Tribal Restro Café is more than just a restaurant—it’s a living canvas of culture, food, and resilience. It’s where the dreams of Akash R Nayak took tangible form, and where his entrepreneurial vision evolved into a bold, sensory experience.
The Legendary Seafood Bucket – A 100-Year-Old Legacy Brought to Life in Bengaluru
In the heart of J.P. Nagar, a culinary revolution is making waves — The Seafood Bucket, a rich and flavorful treasure rooted in a 100-year-old ancestral recipe, now reborn with a bold, modern twist. While seafood lovers across India often associate coastal flavors with Kerala, Hyderabad, or Chennai, what we’ve created is truly different — a deeply traditional South Indian-style Seafood Bucket crafted exclusively in Bangalore, and nowhere else.
This isn’t just a dish — it’s a legacy. For over three months, our passionate chefs at The Tribal Restro Café dived deep into the art of seafood, experimenting with over a dozen masalas to create the perfect blend for every fish, crab, prawn, and shellfish in the bucket. We honored the techniques passed down from our ancestors while giving it a contemporary rooftop dining experience — smoky, aromatic, and unforgettable.
We are proud to be the first and only restaurant in Bangalore to introduce this dish in a bucket style, where every layer is packed with spice, soul, and stories. Our Seafood Bucket has quickly become our signature and most-loved item, attracting foodies from every corner of the city who crave something beyond the ordinary.
This isn’t Kerala. This isn’t Chennai. This isn’t Hyderabad.
This is Bangalore’s Own Seafood Bucket.
A one-of-a-kind, soul-satisfying celebration of tradition, taste, and triumph — come hungry, leave amazed.
Impact & Mentorship
Akash R Nayak’s journey is not just a story of business success—it’s a testament to the power of using entrepreneurship as a force for good. Beyond building ventures, Akash has consistently focused on creating meaningful impact and mentoring the next generation of leaders.
Job Creation That Changes Lives
From the inception of Purple Haze Designers to the transformation of The Tribal Restro Café, Akash has made employment generation a core part of his mission.
- At Purple Haze, he trained and employed local tailors and artisans, many of whom lacked formal education or stable income.
- When The Tribal faced closure during the statewide hookah café ban, Akash refused to let his team go, even without revenue. He provided them with food, shelter, and continued wages until the café was relaunched.
- His ventures today provide stable income to dozens of families, helping them rise above financial uncertainty.
Mentorship: Building People, Not Just Businesses
As Akash’s success story spread, young entrepreneurs began reaching out—not just for advice, but for perspective. Recognizing the growing need, Akash stepped into the role of a mentor and motivator.
He has:
- Delivered talks and workshops at colleges, business incubators, and entrepreneurship forums.
- Mentored first-time founders through their startup challenges, helping them validate ideas, avoid common pitfalls, and stay resilient.
- Focused his message not on textbook theory, but on real, raw experiences—failure, crisis, reinvention, and grit.
Mission: Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship
Akash believes that entrepreneurship is the most powerful tool to create jobs, reduce dependence, and transform communities. His long-term mission revolves around three core principles:
- Inspire the youth to think independently, act boldly, and build fearlessly.
- Create a support system for entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, and training.
- Promote a mindset shift—from job-seeking to job-creating.
Shaping the Next Generation
Through his work, Akash is helping redefine what it means to be a modern Indian entrepreneur: someone who leads with empathy, innovates with purpose, and rises by lifting others.
- “Success isn’t just what you build—it’s what you leave behind for others to grow from.” — Akash R Nayak
Vision for the Future
- Following the success of The Tribal Restro Café in Bengaluru, Akash plans to establish a chain of culturally themed rooftop restaurants across India.
- To bring his culinary vision into homes across India, Akash is launching Tribal Foods—a line of premium spice blends and ready-to-eat coastal meals.
- Akash is currently developing a practical, grassroots platform to support aspiring entrepreneurs from non-metro and under-resourced communities.
- Encourage youth to dream big and build bold. Equip them with the confidence, knowledge, and tools to lead.
- JP Nagar, Bangalore
- (+91) 8095884429
- akashrnayak@gmail.com