Her professional journey began in the IT sector in 2001, where she spent nearly five years working as a Software Analyst at Motorola. Around 2008, she gradually developed a deep interest in the restaurant business owned by her husband, Mr. Sridhar Vakada, which included 100ft Boutique Restaurant, Bayleaf & Friends, and Bacchus. She became increasingly fascinated by the inner workings and operations of restaurants and the F&B industry.

Driven by curiosity, she initially started contributing to the business in areas such as training, HR, and PR. Over time, she refined her skills and immersed herself in the end-to-end operations of the restaurant space. In 2013, with the launch of Barley & Grapes Café, a casual open-euro style dining format, she took on the role of Managing Partner.

Human behavior and its influence on workplace culture—both from the perspective of the team and the guest—have always remained her key area of focus. She strongly believes that “the personal growth of team members is the growth of the company.”

Since then, the group has steadily expanded and currently operates eight outlets. Along with Barley & Grapes Café, the portfolio now includes Andhra Kafe and Blyton in Bengaluru.