International experience on the platter!

A place with an easy attitude and a good vibe, Et Al – World Kitchen and Lounge opened its first outlet in west Delhi this January. Ankit Khilwani, Managing Director, Et Al talks about the new venture of the company.  

Neha Malhotra (NM): Can you brief us about Et Al - World Kitchen and Lounge? How did the idea behind the concept evolve?
Ankit Khilwani (AK): We are a company with experience in chemical fertilizers and construction. Et Al is one of the first lounges in west Delhi where there are no proper lounges. We wanted to create a complete party place where people can sit, chill, and relax. We saw this kind of concept lacking in west Delhi which is why we planned to open the very first restaurant here. 

The basic idea was to create a meaningful place which is young at heart and had an international vibe. This is an extremely exciting phase since I ventured into the hospitality business. Et Al is a new concept and with this, we aim to bring about more such spaces in the near future.  

NM: What are the offerings that customers can look forward to when they visit Et Al?
AK: We serve international cuisines. Customers coming in can look forward to tickling their taste buds with Hungarian, Greek, Italian, Russian as well as Indian cuisine.  

NM: How has the designing for Et Al been done? 
AK: We have set up the restaurant with a Moroccan theme. It is a combination of red and black colour. We have created an atmosphere where a person can relieve all his stress and relax.  

NM: How do you plan to meet the challenges of providing authentic quality food?
AK: All the raw materials that we use are of high quality. The required materials are being imported from Dubai and other Emirate countries. We are very conscious of this aspect as we are serving international cuisines. We have made it a point that everything we use should have an international touch.  

NM: How will the supply chain be managed for your outlets?
AK: We have an in-house supply chain, as we are already present in logistics. Therefore, it will be totally managed by us and we see no problems with it.  

NM: Who are the targeted clientele for Et Al? 
AK: We are mainly targeting corporates, MNCs and banks. In the day time, we have couples and office people as our clients. At night we expect a lot of corporate crowd to walk in as it is a high-end lounge bar. 

NM: Customer service is a vital aspect of the dining experience. Have you taken any special initiatives to ensure the best possible service for your customers?
AK: The personnel that we have employed are the ones who have completed their degrees and diplomas from esteemed institutes in India. We also have people with an experience of 15-20 years. All of them are well trained and have gone through and received a minimum training of three months with us.  

NM: What are the company’s future plans with respect to expansion?
AK: We have already finalised a location in south Delhi and the construction on-site would begin within a month’s time. Chennai, Pune and Maharashtra are other locations where we would be expanding in the coming months.