Born Local, Brewing Big: Zero Miles Reaches Magam with Eighth Café

 

Suhail Khan

 

Srinagar, Dec 13: From a single café built on ambition to a flourishing chain nurturing local prosperity, Zero Miles exemplifies homegrown success. The brand’s narrative advanced this week as it launched its eighth outlet in Magam, located in northern Kashmir.

 

The opening of Zero Miles Grill & Cafe in Magam marks a strategic expansion, underscoring the enterprise’s commitment to generating community-centric employment and extending economic opportunities beyond Srinagar into the Valley’s smaller towns.

 

Founded by 35-year-old Jibran Khan, a native of Bandipora, the chain now provides direct and indirect support to over 100 families across its network of locations.

 

In an interview with Kashmir Convener, Khan revealed that the Magam franchise is operated by Kupwara-based entrepreneur Tahir Ahmad Wani. This partnership illustrates the brand’s decentralized, franchise-driven growth model, a strategy designed to anchor economic benefits within local communities.

 

“My motivation was never profit alone,” said Khan, who relinquished corporate opportunities abroad in 2017 to establish his inaugural outlet in Sopore. “It was to create sustainable employment while delivering genuine hospitality.”

 

From that solitary beginning, Zero Miles has expanded its presence to Bandipora, Kupwara, Handwara, Kangan, Pampore, and Pulwama. The Magam launch continues this deliberate trajectory, seeking to furnish local career prospects and contemporary social spaces for the town’s youth.

 

Khan reflected that the chain weathered the pandemic-era lockdowns through sheer perseverance. “Profit and loss are cyclical. What sustains a business is foundational commitment,” he stated.

 

Each outlet functions as a micro-economic hub, generating local employment, procuring goods from nearby suppliers, and bolstering franchise partners. “Magam possesses significant potential. Our objective is to integrate into the community through consistent quality and service,” Khan added.

 

He further encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to leverage available government schemes and cultivate resilience. “The paramount goal should be to transition from job seekers to job creators,” Khan asserted.

 

With the Magam inauguration, Zero Miles solidifies its standing as a signature local success story—transforming from a modest culinary venture into a scalable paradigm for employment, community engagement, and economic optimism throughout Kashmir.