Khan Snacks and Broast is one of the oldest fast food joints in Karachi. Located near the Water-Pump Chowrangi (now a proper intersection) in F.B Area, it is one of the pioneers of broast-making in this part of the world.
Even now when a million fast food joints are offering this delicacy, Khan’s version remains remarkably differentiated. It’s rivals have utterly failed to copy its competitive advantage. But it’s not just the broast itself that is uniquely created. The bun, the fries, the raita, even the ketchup is radically different from the rest of the pack. And the coleslaw is out of this world!
Over the years, we feel that the size of their broast has shrunk while the prices like the rest of them have gone up. And herein lies an opportunity for some brand to offer substantial size chicken pieces at the same prices. Even with average taste, this brand will definitely prosper.
Khan’s burgers, however, are not that sumptuous. Especially the beef buger tastes like a home-made version. Its beef patty is your standard ‘Kachchey Qeemay ka kabab’. However, if you fancy the home-cooked taste, you’re going to love it. The chicken version fares just a wee bit better.
However, unlike other fast food joints in the same category, Khan’s burgers are guaranteed to satiate your appetite- they are that big. What’s more, unlike other fast food joints which offer raita only with the broast, Khan offers it even with the burgers – with unlimited refilling.
The chicken zinger, however, doesn’t have a unique taste and tastes just like your standard local zinger in any other fast food joint. Its size though is substantial, guaranteed to fill you up to the brim. Although the bun is of standard size, the crusty patty is humungous, protruding from both sides of the bun. In most of the local fast food joints, the zinger patty is either too crusty with literally no meat inside or simply meat with no flakes. Khan’s version offers the perfect blend of crust with meat.
The prices are pretty much the same compared to the competition. The broast is around Rs.120, so is the zinger. The beef burger is priced at Rs.70.
Over the years, the taste has remained remarkably consistent, and surprisingly, so is the menu. While the competition offers everything under the sun from Chinese cuisine to shashlik, Khan broast has confined itself to just the basic fast food items, adding only zinger along the way and not bothering to offer even the club sandwich which is the prerequisite of any fast food joint.
There’s an even an urban legend associated with Khan’s. They say Khan’s earnings from catering and normal dining is a whopping Rs. 2 lac per day. Now that can’t be right? Or is it?
Stranger things are happened though in this city of lights.
Whatever the stories, there’s one fact that you cannot ignore, and that is, you need to go and indulge yourself in Khan’s delicacies.
Update: Due to increasingly rising prices, raita is no longer unlimited. They give you two servings, after that its 10rs more for 2 additional servings. Both broast and burgers have increased by 10 rs for each item. Still as drool-worthy as ever though.