RESTAURANTS TAKE THE RETAIL ROUTE
It’s not so common to walk into a restaurant or a cafe and find yourself shopping for premium dinnerware or a high-end bicycle. But that’s what the scenario is now turning into. Going beyond food, restaurants are changing into retail destinations with millennials being the prime takers for this concept. The retail industry, which is expected to grow to USD 1.1 trillion by 2020, has a lot in common with the restaurant industry, which is making this fusion format a success. “For the millennials, the experience of eating out is more than just satisfying the pangs of hunger. They want the right ambience, decor and cuisine that can become content for Instagram pictures,” says restaurateur Priyank Sukhija, founder of the retail restaurant Plum Cafe in Mumbai.
At Plum Cafe, visitors can buy anything they see and anything that they like, quite literally. “It could be the spoon they are eating from or a piece of art hanging on the wall; if a customer sees it and likes it, he or she can buy it. Everything in the restaurant has a price tag attached to it,” says Sukhija, who will soon be retailing Bent Chair decor products at his restaurant. The experiential dining restaurant sells luxury home decor products starting from Rs 5,000 onwards. And this fits into the emerging trend wherein if the retail industry is expected to touch USD 1.1 trillion by 2020 in India, the restaurant industry, according to a report by Smergers, is estimated to be a whopping Rs 75,000 crore business.
A UNIQUE MARRIAGE
The integration between the two verticals of food and beverage and retail is taking place at a rapid pace owning to the fact that many leading retailers are turning to restaurants and cafes in order to expand their brand presence and find a new customer base. For instance, popular beer chain Beer Cafe has introduced its own line of merchandise called Beerosphere, a beer-based collection which comprises more than 30 products, including gadgets, home decor and glassware.Their portfolio of gifting products also includes cushion covers, playing cards, candles and laptop sleeves, priced between Rs 95 and 3,750.
ONLINE MEETS OFFLINE
For online players like Bent Chair, a home decor startup, retailing in a restaurant is the right step towards offline expansion, where the brand not only plans to strengthen its customer base but also plans to change the products at its selected restaurant outlets every four months so that customers can see Bent Chair’s seasonal collection at all such places. “The experience of buying Bent Chair products at Plum Cafe is completely unique because there is no separate section for retailing and dining; everything happens over a table with food and drinks. Since our products have a niche customer base, retailing in a restaurant has given us an opportunity to introduce our products to new customers,” says Natasha Jain, founder of Bent Chair.
A COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER
For Ashish Thadani, CEO, Ciclo Cafe, retailing through a restaurant was to fulfill the purpose of bringing the cycling community together. The cafe sells cycles of eight high-end brands ranging from Rs 12,500 to Rs 3 lakhs, while even higher range international brand cycles are sourced as per the request of the customers. “The idea of Ciclo Cafe is not just to have a cycling-inspired cafe adorned with furniture and lights inspired by bicycle parts but also to bring bicycle culture and a lifestyle centered on cycling. Ciclo Cafe is a one-stop-shop for sales and service of premium bicycles, cycling merchandise and accessories, expert advice on cycling, and customized cycle rides – all accompanied with F&B services and multiple cuisines on offer,” he informs.
Leading a similar concept, Hyderabad-based startup Driven Cafe is a one-of-its-kind retail restaurant where visitors can rent a superbike, a luxury car and sip a cup of coffee discussing about their favourite superbike or car. “We take deposits from customers who want to rent a superbike or a fancy car. The minimum deposit starts from Rs 10,000 per day,” says the spokesperson of Driven Cafe’s Bengaluru outlet.
REINVENTING THE WHEEL
“In order to stay relevant with the millennials who most often end up shopping online and ordering food online, it’s quintessential to reinvent the wheel. There have to be more reasons than one for a millennial to step out of his or her comfort zone – whether it’s to shop or eat – and retail restaurants are the perfect excuse. Only innovation in both retail and restaurant industry can keep the game going,” says Sukhija.
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