Designing Memorable Dining Experiences: The Future of the Restaurant Industry

Award-winning Celebrity Chef Dipna Anand grew up in and around food industry. Her grandfather started the first Brilliant restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya in the 1950s; “It was a very much family affair,” Dipna recalls.

Dipna co-owns Brilliant in Southall and is the owner of Dip in Brilliant, a Punjabi café in Fulham, next to Chelsea Football Club.

In a tête-à-tête with Restaurant India, Celebrity Chef and restaurateur Dipna Anand speaks about her entrepreneurial journey with Brilliant and her new venture Dip in Brilliant.

Brilliant’s Journey From 36-Seat to 250+ Seater Restaurant

“It’s a very daring name. With the name like Brilliant, you cannot be anything less than Brilliant,” Gordon Ramsay had said once.

My dad used to help his brothers and sisters; they all were very much involved in the restaurant business in Kenya. And then there was a political issue back in Kenya when some of the family migrated to London. They had to leave the restaurant behind. Unfortunately, during that time my grandfather had passed away. My dad, his brothers and sisters wanted to kind of continue the name and the tradition. Within a few years my dad’s brother, Kewal, found a place in Southall. We started then with a 36-seat restaurant. Within no time we started gaining recognition - lots of them had migrated from Kenya to London – as people would recognise the name and that’s how Brilliant became more popular.

Must Read: Approach Investors With A Clear Business Plan: Michelin-Star Chef Garima Arora’s Advice To Restaurant Startups

We went from a 36-seat restaurant to a 250+ seater. The popularity grew organically. Today, we boast a reputation of more than 60 years of experience in the catering and hospitality industry. Of course, during that time my dad was running the restaurant in Southall. My mom would help dad in his restaurant business. She is a supercook but my dad is the main chef.

I think in the restaurant industry, it’s very important that you become a people’s person. You have to get that charisma, passion and show people that you are actually there to cater to their needs and giving them a great dining experience. Whosoever comes at Brilliant should say that they had a brilliant time at the restaurant.

Consistency and Outstanding Food Are the Keys

Chefs might change but my dad trains the new chefs on the recipes and, therefore, the recipes never change. That’s the beauty of Brilliant – outstanding food, quality is always the same, consistency is maintained.

On a typical Saturday, the footfall at Brilliant Southall is 200 and at Dip in Brilliant Fulham, it is 50.

Must Read: 15 Inspiring Indian Women in F&B Industry

External funding

My Fulham restaurant is a limited company and Southall one is in partnership. Till now, we didn’t get any external funding. We still consider it as an SME because we have less than 20 employees. A lot of people had asked for the franchise but we have been refusing so far. We might look about it in the future.

Dipna’s Journey as a Restaurateur

From the young age of six or seven, I remember going to the restaurant with my brother and trying to be helpful to my parents. I would ask my parents the questions related to the restaurant and that’s where my passion grew while watching them. I’m very much the people’s person.

At school, I wasn’t very good at the academic subjects. I was good at food technology and sports. I knew I need to carry on something vocational. And food is something I had a passion for. My career took off when I won a national award on one of my food technology projects – Low Fat Indian Food - presented by the British Nutrition Foundation. I had put low-fat Indian food in my restaurant’s menu as well. After winning this award, I decided to go to the University of London and do food technology in hospitality and catering. While I was doing my Masters, I was offered to teach at the University. I was teaching Indian cuisines; it’s been 13 years now. I won my second award presented by David Cameron as the Industry Personality of the Year.

“I see my failures as learning curves and I see them as a challenge.  I like to reflect. With whatever I do, I reflect on what did I learn and how I could do it better. For me, failure is never a failure.”

About Dip in Brilliant

I made my dad’s dream come true with my first cookbook, Beyond Brilliant; it has the recipes of my grandfather. After my first cookbook, I launched my first cookery school in Southall in London. In between, I had also done my own TV series on B4U Music called Dip in Kitchen. It was Indian cooking with a few contemporary twists. Recently, I launched my second book called Dip in Brilliant, after I opened my second restaurant with the same name in Fulham. It has got a smaller menu as the place is very small. But I call it a trendy Punjabi Café because I want that restaurant to be something that explains me – trendy and cool.

Also Read: Effective Restaurant Marketing Strategies By Chef Anaida Parvaneh

‘Vocational Course in Cooking Should Be Made Compulsory at Schools’

In the UK, there is not enough emphasis in schools on vocational qualifications like food technology because it’s not compulsory to cook. When I go to the schools and talk to them, they are wowed by the cooking and then I do the cookery course with them. And it’s quite shocking that some of them don’t know the name of vegetables, even the simplest ones like mushrooms.

We need to educate more youngsters that there is such a profession in hospitality and catering.

‘You Can Always Tweak A Dish, But Don’t Confuse It’

We have got so many spices but a lot of people don’t know their health benefits. There are hundreds of ways to cook Punjabi food - this fact has been passed on to us from generations to generations.  I don’t think fusion is wrong but when you confuse the dish, it’s the problem. You can always tweak it. For example, soya sauce into a traditional palak chicken – it’s game over! You got to know how to balance the flavours.

Pros and Cons of being in a Family Business

Our restaurant is family run; it’s me, dad and my brother. Three of us run Brilliant in Southall and Dip in Brilliant in Fulham, London and it’s fantastic. We do have sometimes disagreement like in every family business and that’s how we make decisions.

There are more advantages in a family-run business – firstly, they say teamwork is a dream work and for us it does. It’s a family affair and we are successful because of this fact. We don’t leave our restaurants for the managers to run. We run the restaurants ourselves. And for us, that is the sole reason why we are successful.

Secret Recipe to Success

A strong family bond and togetherness have made us succeed. My father is the role model. I love his autocratic management style, and I see a lot of my father in me now. He is a very strong-minded person; he knows how to get the work done. And I am following his footsteps now. That’s most definitely one of the reasons why we are successful.

Tips for Aspiring Chefs

Have confidence in the kitchen - It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to chop an onion. Nothing can stop you from learning. If you chop it wrong the first time, do it again and again, until you get it right. I teach 13-14 year olds how to roll a chapati.

Make the Use of Social Media - Let’s say someone is a home chef and is passionate about cooking. I would tell them to share on social media whatever they are cooking even if they are making an omelette, share on Facebook and Instagram.

Don’t be scared to enter the kitchen and experiment because you never know what you can come up with.

Don’t be reluctant to play with the spices. If you are missing a certain ingredient like in my biryani you might not be able to get whole coriander – leave it out and continue. Have that kind of attitude and continue.

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Shikha Pahwa, an International Business post-graduate from the University of Leeds, had never imagined opening a restaurant or anything related to hospitality. She tried her hand at a desk job for a year and realized it wasn't for her. It was during here University days that she had developed an interest in coffee and cooking. With a simultaneous interest in fitness/distance-running, she was keen on doing something where she could incorporate her passion in both these fields. With Cafe Qahwa, she has created a unique space, which offers a very trendy, feel-good menu as well as a great coffee blend. 

Shikha has also pursued her other passion, distance running, alongside and with that niche, personal experience, she was able to incorporate the health aspect into the Qahwa menu. For instance, a recent addition has been the Qahwa Activisers’ menu, which is specially designed for anyone who loves being active and energetic. She has always tried to utilize her knowledge and perspective as an athlete to add a special touch to her culinary contributions. 

In an interview with Restaurant India, Shikha Pahwa, owner of Cafe Qahwa, talks about the challenges she had faced as a woman restaurateur.

The Love of Coffee Led to the Opening of Cafe Qahwa 

Pic Credits: Cafe Qahwa, Delhi

It was primarily for the love of coffee. I used to look for places with good coffee and, slowly, ran out of options. Another reason was the rarity of restaurants with early breakfast.  It was also quite hard to find healthy options – being an athlete, I have a more energy and health-oriented diet since the usual Delhi food is quite heavy. I wanted to create a unique space where foodies could also enjoy a fantastic coffee blend, apart from freshly-prepared quality food (even early in the morning!), and of course a more well-balanced menu. 

A Self-Taught Chef 

Apart from the research and time spent on finding the perfect location and people to set up the place, I wanted to learn more about the product I wanted to sell. I attended some workshops on coffee – I studied coffee processing, roasting, preparing, etc to acquire as much knowledge as possible. I also took up a temporary job at a cafe to see how a kitchen functions, as I had no background in hospitality. Since then, I have spent most of my time in the kitchen, experimenting and perfecting food recipes. I am a self-taught chef and there is always much more to learn! 

Key Things Shikha Pahwa Figured Out During Her Entrepreneurial Journey  

Pic Credits: Cafe Qahwa, Delhi

- It is important to be able to fill into any position in the business. Unforeseen circumstances occur sooner rather than later and doing that could save time and money. 

- Changes are always welcome. Whether it is for the customers or the employees, anything different or new can help in giving new perspectives. 

- A team works better if they’re given a little flexibility. It may not be exactly as per the books, but sometimes ignoring smaller things can help achieve something bigger and more impactful. 

Must Read: Approach Investors With A Clear Business Plan: Michelin-Star Chef Garima Arora’s Advice To Restaurant Startups

Business Sense and Food, Both are Equally Important for a Restaurateur 

It is difficult to pick one, both are equally important. Food is the core, the foundation of the restaurant; while the business sense drives it forward. 

Cafe Qahwa’s Menu is Especially Crafted for Energy Lovers 

There is a great mix of people that we host at Qahwa. It’s not just restricted to families, students and working people- we also have groups of runners, cyclists, board-gamers, poets/writers, motorcyclists& many more. Being a marathon runner myself, I know many of our regulars who are athletes or even active individuals. In fact, I, recently, launched a Qahwa Activisers’ menu for just this kind of audience; this menu is specially crafted for energy lovers. 

Cafe Qahwa is an Urban, Feel-good Restaurant  

Pic Credits: Cafe Qahwa, Delhi

An urban, feel-good restaurant where we serve fresh, delicious and unique soul food and aim to combine the casual cafe atmosphere with a diner style menu.

Qahwa's ambience is casual and laid-back, plus the menu offers freshly-made meals for any time of the day, including all-day breakfast in Delhi. In addition to that, the coffee menu is extensive and creative. In fact, we have many unique flavour combinations/recipes, that are rarely seen, in our menu. We have a well-balanced menu that focuses on flavour as well as on health and well-being.

Footfall at Cafe Qahwa

Approximately 200 people on weekdays and 350 people on weekends visit Cafe Qahwa.

The Expansion Plans

We serve a full-fledged food and beverage menu daily from 7 am to 11 pm. We also specialize in group reservations and cater to a variety of organised groups/events. I do plan to expand in the near future.

Also Read: Effective Restaurant Marketing Strategies By Chef Anaida Parvaneh

Favourite Item on the Menu

Pic Credits: Cafe Qahwa, Delhi

The latest addition to the menu – Biryani. Having had no professional training per se, it took a lot of time and patience in getting this dish right. It was a learning experience, but it was definitely worth all the effort. In the end, what I achieved was a flavourful, yet, relatively healthier Biryani, with a completely unique and in-house blend of spices.

Cafe Qahwa is one-of-its-kind

Definitely another Qahwa, if I have to open another restaurant! I believe Qahwa is one of a kind and would like to continue on the same path.

About the Location of a Restaurant

Location is key for any restaurant. We would have to look at the possible accessibility it would have to the clientele we would like to target.

Challenges Faced as a Woman Entrepreneur 

Unfortunately, women entrepreneurs are not taken seriously, whether it is sourcing raw material from vendors or acquiring the licenses/permissions from the government authorities. It is a harsh reality, but one which has to be accepted in practicality. It is only determination and perseverance that has allowed me to get this far.

In Pics: 7 Women Changing Food Service Scene In India

Key Learnings

Something or the other will always go wrong. It’s better to be prepared with back-up/alternatives.

- Product quality is extremely critical and deserves ample attention.

- Staffing will always be a challenge and your key strength.         

- Be open to criticism and develop a thick skin! 

Click To Read More Stories on Women Entrepreneurs

A themed restaurant is more than a meal! It is a great idea to make your business stand out in the crowd. It is not about cuisines only. A unique restaurant idea could boost your business too. People look for greater concept restaurants which could draw them to spend some quality time. Nowadays, people are looking for an exquisite and memorable experience that could only be created with the right ambience and food. If you are reinventing a concept or starting a new restaurant, these unique themed restaurants in India will serve as an inspiration.

Cafe Runway

Café Runway in Mumbai will certainly take your taste buds on a journey to rouse all your seven senses. Cafe Runway is the First Airport-Themed Cafe in Borivali, Mumbai. You can never run out of the ioptions from the menu that showcases interesting aviation ‘features’ - Pilot Controlled Rainbow Pizza, Loading Burger, Fixed Wings Aircraft Waffle, Aircraft Bambaiya Sandwich, Duty Free Noodles, Holiday Flight Mocktail, Landing Designator Pasta, Air - Canada Freakshake, Visual Runway Muffins, Blue Velvet Turbine Cake and much more! The idea to be onboard will definitely whisk you mentally to your favourite destination.

Neverland and Sea Yah

Mumbai’s two new floating restaurants were recently inaugurated by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The restaurants will operate at Marine Drive and the Gateway of India in Mumbai. Though it is slightly heavy on pocket i.e., the minimum cost for two is Rs. 5000, the restaurants are set to give one-of-its-kind experience to the visitors.

Gravity Spacebar

Gravity or Anti-Gravity, both the floors at Gravity Spacebar, Gurugram, are visual delights. The brain-child of Amandeep Singh Arora and Sameer Saroha, it is an outer space-themed restaurant. Consultant Chef Vishal Kochar has supervised the menu designing of the restro-bar. Modern Indian Tapas (Spanish cuisines with Indian flavours), Matthi Canape, Batata stones, Mushroom Chettinad Cappuccino and The Hanging Garden are popular among the people visiting the restro-bar. Overall Gravity Spacebar has an outer-space feel with astronauts hanging from the ceiling and the dangling of the stars. A twist of bright colours adds oomph to the ambience.

The Dark Café

Located in Delhi at GTB Nagar, the glow-in-the-dark theme of The Dark Café is certainly to watch out for. From décor to the glasses, this café sticks to the theme concept. Adding more to the quirkiness, the Café serves AF drink that glows with an eerie blue light too. The Café has a separate underground area for private parties.

The Drunken Botanist

The Drunken Botanist is a themed restaurant which is designed and named on Amy Stewart’s book with the same name - The Drunken Botanist. It’s a guidebook for mixologists and gardeners too. Amy’s book revolves around the stories about fungi, flowers, plants and herbs that people have transformed to alcohol. From the walls to upholstery, the ambience of the Drunken Botanist gives a feel of a botanical garden. One can find plant pots surrounding the seating arrangements. The restaurant is located at Cyber Hub, Gururam.

The vibe has to do with the culture that you create inside your restaurant which eventually ends up in attracting a lot of new customers. Enhancing the restaurant’s ambiance can help in its market sustenance in the long run. “Vibes can be created by the simplest of things. It’s all about creating a culture. It can be the feeling while you enter a specific restaurant to the staffs greeting you. Vibes are generally very essential as it helps customers to decide whether they want to continue dining out with your restaurant or not,” shares Saurav Mishra, Owner, Hilly Billy Café.

Sense of Sight

The vibe which customers get from the visual aspect of the restaurant is very important. It is well said that the people initially consume with their eyes and later with their mouth. It is important to be aware what you want your restaurant to feel like and then accordingly decide its appearance. Your vision should be resonated via the interiors of the venture.

Sense of Smell and Sound

How the restaurant smells is another key factor which drives the customer’s attention towards it. The aroma created in the kitchen which usually travels to all corners of a restaurant is a big part which contributes to creating a vibe for the venture. The vibe of a restaurant also depends upon the sound which can be found on entering. Many factors including whether a restaurant is busy and noisy or soft and quiet decides the vibe. The background music also contributes to this factor and should keep rotating the playlists.

Sense of Taste

The menu available at your restaurant works as a catalyst for its vibe. Compromising with the quality usually leads to the shutdown. Food usually works as an instigator in order to achieve all kind of vibes you want to have at your restaurant. “The taste of your food defines your future as a restaurateur. If you are good in it, then that’s amazing otherwise you really have to work on it before your venture collapses,” says Santanu Chakraborty, Director, Hing Bar and Restaurant.

Hence to attract more customers, it is highly essential to create a great vibe in every term. Work with your staffs and team in order to create the culture which you want to provide to your customers.       

There are various things which can define the fate of a restaurant and among that is the hygiene a restaurant carries. Restaurant hygiene is not just for ensuring health and safety of the staffs and customers but also plays a major role in defining the perception of a restaurant.

Customers are now very specific in terms of the outlets they choose for dining out. From great food to ambiance, they want a place which is clean and serves hygienic food. We can say that hygiene is the second most important factor which is required to run a restaurant after maintaining the quality of food. Therefore, hygiene is one key which can help your restaurant sustain in the food industry.

“Hygiene is one of the important things that a restaurateur needs to keep in mind while running a venture. To maintain the hygiene at your restaurant, one needs to keep the kitchen and the surroundings clean which will result in a healthy environment attracting a lot of customers,” says Sagar Sharma, owner, Nutritious Nation.

5 practices to maintain the hygiene standards at restaurants

1) Regular inspection of areas like kitchen and dining

There should be regular inspection of areas like kitchen and dining by the managers so that the health aspect of a restaurant is up to the mark. It is essential in meeting health and hygiene requirements which have been stated by the Food Safety and Standards of India (FSSAI).

2) Staffs maintaining personal hygiene

The saying is true that cleanliness begins at home.  This is also applicable for maintaining the hygiene at a restaurant. The staff needs to be properly trained for maintaining personal hygiene at restaurants. They should adapt with clean clothes, hairnets and other hygienic tools which are necessary for maintaining a healthy environment. 

3) Sanitizer for kitchen equipment

Employees should be educated properly on the use of equipment which is available in the restaurant. Along with the usage,  maintenance of equipment can eventually help in increasing the hygiene factor of a restaurant. They should be familiar with the use of equipment along with cleaning and maintaining them.

4) Developing restaurant hygiene checklist

The manager of a restaurant should create a checklist of the specific cleaning duties and tasks which are performed in the restaurant on a daily basis. Keeping the checklist updated will make sure that the proper duties are being done, increasing the hygienic factor of the restaurant. The manager can assign the tasks according to shift so that a person doesn’t get tired and the maintenance is properly taken care of.

5) Proper ventilation

Ventilation is something which is really very important for both the customers as well as for staffs. It plays an integral role in maintaining the hygiene factor of a restaurant. Proper ventilation is essential for the preparation and storage of food also boosting the morale of customers and staffs present in the restaurant. Who would like to visit a restaurant whose atmosphere is filled with smoke, heat, and moisture?

“One big reason for maintaining the hygiene in a restaurant is that restaurants with bad hygiene are likely to fail in the upcoming time ultimately causing them to shut down. With the trend of eating and being healthy, customers are now way smarter than ever.  They want everything healthy in their surroundings with mouth-watering food,” shares Vedant Goyal who is the owner of Threads café.

Therefore, keeping the hygiene factor in mind can help you in maintaining the high standard of your restaurant.  

Every foodie, more than once in his/her life, has decided to open a café or restaurant, where he/ she can spread the magic of taste in and around the locality.

People from different areas, regions have different taste, some like spicy, some like sweet and some like a mix of both spicy and sweet, one cannot just compromise with the taste, when one is paying his/her hard earned money in it.

NRAI IFSR 2016 estimates that the total contribution of the restaurant industry alone will contribute 2.1% to the GDP of India by the year 2021.

Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI has said, "The total food services market today stands at INR 3, 09, 110 crores and has grown at 7.7 % since our last report in 2013. This is projected to grow to INR 4, 98, 130 crores at a CAGR of 10% by 2021."

Here are a few points to help aspiring restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to start a restaurant business:

1. Decide what to offer:

Food is one thing, which holds the power to make people forget all the tensions of work or life. And there are plenty o restaurants, where one can find the authentic local cuisines or regional delicacies.

You have to decide before hand what you are going to offer to the customers, who already have their favourite dishes being served in their favourite restaurant. You ought to have something unique and the best to offer or else the customers would not find any reason to visit your restaurant.

2. Thorough Planning:

A well begun thing is half done, thus if the concept as to what kind of restaurant you want to open, should it be a high-end fine dine restaurant or for casual diner or cuisine specific or microbrewery or pub or simply quick service restaurant.

Moreover the proper planning with estimated future goals, expected profits and expansion plans will be help the banks in developing trust on your business, where the loans and financial aids come into play.

3. Discovering the apt Location:

One can find a number of restaurants in every busy street, which serve from continental to Asian to French to Indian food. Thus look for a location, which does not get lost in the herd of restaurants in that locality.

It should not be far from the herd, neither should it be in the centre, but somewhere near the entrance or ground floor.

4. Look for Investors:

Opening a restaurant is no child’s play; it requires a lot of money. Opening a small QSR will cost around 1.2-1.8 crore, that too only to set it up, excluding the production cost and staff salary payments.

Thus look out for investors, who will fuel your dreams to take the first leap. There are plenty of investors and banks ready to help you, provided authentic documents, honest intentions.

5. Licenses and permits:

The required documents, licenses and work permits should be kept ready before opening the restaurant.

Obtaining business licenses is the doorway for any business industry to roll.

Proper legal procedures about taking the lease area and license to serve alcohol in that area and proper ventilation in the kitchen, safety standards in case of emergency should be taken care of even before laying the foundation stone of your business.

6. Hire smart staffs:

Ultimately, restaurants are known for the kind of food they serve, the hospitality and aura of it.

Thus a chef, who is master in his skills, staffs, who are not just educated robots but smart in their work are important for a restaurant to run smoothly.

Accountant, who will take care of the bills, salary of staffs, profits earned, losses bore and every money related matters.

Feeding a hungry soul is the noblest job on this planet. So go ahead to do a noble job and earn profits out of it as well, doesn’t it sound like a perfect plan!

Almost the entire urban population starting from kids to the college going students, from vegetarians to non-vegetarians, everyone is fond of fast foods. One just looks out for occasions to make an excuse and bump into a fast food restaurants.

A report produced by Research and Markets say that Indian fast food market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% by 2020 due to changing consumer behavior and demography.

Fast food market in India is expected to be worth US$ 27.57 billion by 2020.

About 10% of the fast food market in India is organized. NOVONOUS estimates that the organized fast food market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27% by 2020.

Vegetarian fast food constitutes of around 45% of the whole fast food market in India and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% by 2020.

According to the report, global fast food market was valued at over USD 539.63 billion in 2016, is expected to reach above USD 690.80 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of slightly above 4.20% between 2017 and 2022.

It looks the stars are aligned in the favor of the aspiring fast food restaurateur, then what are you waiting for! Hit the road to be the leading businessman in this field.

Here are a few points to help you in opening a fast food restaurant in India:

1.Market study and business plan:

First of all, analyse the market and study the customers’ taste of any particular area, where you want to set your restaurant up.

Try to open a fast food restaurant, which is different from existing fast food chains in the area. A variety will keep you afloat in the competition as well as it will be proved to be a point to attract your customers.

After thorough study, make a business plan for your reference and to keep a check on the work as it progresses. A proper business plan will also fetch you investors as well as build trust on the bans, to provide you loan.

2.Rent an outlet:

Look out for space, where you can set up your restaurant. It should be at the main market and not at the farthest end or lost-in-the-crowd sort of place, because then your business would not be able to fetch desired customers.

Check for proper electricity, gas, grocery, water and ventilation in the place.

3.Build your business:

After renting an outlet area, decide what you are going to offer your customers, and design the place accordingly.

Cutleries, chair and tables, color of walls, decorative and kind of music you are going to play, deciding these things is equally important as the menu you are going to serve.

First please the customers with the aura, then with the food.

4.Staff and proper equipment:

Now comes the hiring part, where you need to hire chefs, managers, accountant, waiters, waitresses and cleaners, who are going to run your business on daily basis.

Hire smart employees, who can take care of emergency situations.

Moreover hospitality is an additional factor in running a restaurant business.

Also it is your job to keep the staff happy, as the saying goes by, ‘Take care of employees and the employees will take care of the customers’.

Provide them training, send them for holidays, give them bonus and take time out to talk to them and take feedbacks from them.

5.Market your business:

Before finally having a grand opening, market about your restaurant through all the media channels.

It is advisable to invite a celebrity or politician for the inauguration, so that the opening will be grand and this will let the people notice you.

You can distribute pamphlets to the houses in the nearby locality and in between newspaper pages, where you can offer first 100 or so customers some gift voucher or discount or things as such to attract more and more customers.

Take the help of these points and start you business plan today. The fast food restaurant business is on demand and will continue to be till the love for food in people’s heart exists.

Small Restaurant Business Plan

Every foodie, more than once in his/her life, has decided to open a café or restaurant, where he/ she can spread the magic of taste in and around the locality.

People from different areas, regions have different taste, some like spicy, some like sweet and some like a mix of both spicy and sweet, one cannot just compromise with the taste, when one is paying his/her hard earned money in it.

NRAI IFSR 2016 estimates that the total contribution of the restaurant industry alone will contribute 2.1% to the GDP of India by the year 2021.

Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI has said, "The total food services market today stands at INR 3, 09, 110 crores and has grown at 7.7 % since our last report in 2013. This is projected to grow to INR 4, 98, 130 crores at a CAGR of 10% by 2021."

Here are a few points to help aspiring restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to start a restaurant business:

Restaurant Business Plan : Decide what to offer

Food is one thing, which holds the power to make people forget all the tensions of work or life. And there are plenty o restaurants, where one can find the authentic local cuisines or regional delicacies.

You have to decide before hand what you are going to offer to the customers, who already have their favourite dishes being served in their favourite restaurant. You ought to have something unique and the best to offer or else the customers would not find any reason to visit your restaurant.

Restaurant Business Plan : Thorough Planning

A well begun thing is half done, thus if the concept as to what kind of restaurant you want to open, should it be a high-end fine dine restaurant or for casual diner or cuisine specific or microbrewery or pub or simply quick service restaurant.

Moreover the proper planning with estimated future goals, expected profits and expansion plans will be help the banks in developing trust on your business, where the loans and financial aids come into play.

Restaurant Business Plan : Discover the Location

One can find a number of restaurants in every busy street, which serve from continental to Asian to French to Indian food. Thus look for a location, which does not get lost in the herd of restaurants in that locality.

It should not be far from the herd, neither should it be in the centre, but somewhere near the entrance or ground floor.

Restaurant Business Plan : Look for Investors

Opening a restaurant is no child’s play; it requires a lot of money. Opening a small QSR will cost around 1.2-1.8 crore, that too only to set it up, excluding the production cost and staff salary payments.

Thus look out for investors, who will fuel your dreams to take the first leap. There are plenty of investors and banks ready to help you, provided authentic documents, honest intentions.

Restaurant Business Plan : Licenses and permits

The required documents, licenses and work permits should be kept ready before opening the restaurant.

Obtaining business licenses is the doorway for any business industry to roll.

Proper legal procedures about taking the lease area and license to serve alcohol in that area and proper ventilation in the kitchen, safety standards in case of emergency should be taken care of even before laying the foundation stone of your business.

Restaurant Business Plan : Hire smart staffs

Ultimately, restaurants are known for the kind of food they serve, the hospitality and aura of it.

Thus a chef, who is master in his skills, staffs, who are not just educated robots but smart in their work are important for a restaurant to run smoothly.

Accountant, who will take care of the bills, salary of staffs, profits earned, losses bore and every money related matters.

Feeding a hungry soul is the noblest job on this planet. So go ahead to do a noble job and earn profits out of it as well, doesn’t it sound like a perfect plan!

Folks of different region carrying their taste, choice of foods and lifestyle have made the restaurant industry evolve and to make an entry and catch up with the ever evolving industry, aspiring restaurateurs are all set to make their presence felt.

NRAI IFSR 2016 estimates that the total contribution of the restaurant industry alone will contribute 2.1% to the GDP of India by the year 2021.

Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI has said, "The total food services market today stands at INR 3, 09, 110 crores and has grown at 7.7 % since our last report in 2013. This is projected to grow to INR 4, 98, 130 crores at a CAGR of 10% by 2021."

Here are a few points to help aspiring restaurateurs and entrepreneurs to start a restaurant business:

1.Concept of the restaurant:

Step by step approach for establishing any business is the first and foremost rule. Concept and planning of the business might take long but without any plan and concept, a business cannot move an inch.

A well begun thing is half done, thus if the concept as to what kind of restaurant you want to open, should it be a high-end fine dine restaurant or for casual diner or cuisine specific or microbrewery or pub or simply quick service restaurant.

Moreover the proper planning with estimated future goals, expected profits and expansion plans will be help the banks in developing trust on your business, where the loans and financial aids come into play.

2.Discovering the apt Location:

Location plays an important role in shaping your business dream into reality. If the location does not fulfill your requirements, then it can cost you dearly. Such as is it a crowded place, do other business run well there, is there any other restaurant in or around the complex, is there sufficient water facility in the locality, has anyone opened restaurant in that place earlier, why has not anyone approached that place for opening a restaurant there, is there sufficient space for parking and questions like these should be answered before finalizing the location.

3.Face of your restaurant:

This might sound like a trivial issue but the name of the restaurant and its interior design plays a significant role equally as the service you provide to your guests.

Guests are the ones, who will be on the receiving end of your business, pleasing them is the ultimate reason for the growth of your business as they are the ones who will provide energy to push the business forward.

Advertisements through different mediums will let others know about the existence of your restaurant and the kind of food, service you provide.

4.Licenses and permits:

The required documents, licenses and work permits should be kept ready before opening the restaurant.

Obtaining business licenses is the doorway for any business industry to roll.

Proper legal procedures about taking the lease area and license to serve alcohol in that area and proper ventilation in the kitchen, safety standards in case of emergency should be taken care of even before laying the foundation stone of your business.

5.Hiring staffs:

A restaurant is known by the kind of food it serves, the chefs it has, services it provides and the ambiance, thus to maintain all this, hiring the A-one chefs, waiters and waitresses, cleaning staff, kitchen staff, bartenders and wait staff is very important.

Take care of the staffs and they will take care of the quality of services, food and needs of the customer.

Restaurant industry has become very vibrant and charismatic in last few years with growing market trends and a global lifestyle. At a time when the industry has got lots of potential to grow the restaurant owners are still trying to figure out who their customers’ are? What kind of concept is rocking the industry? What is the average duration spent by the customers’? What element should they keep in mind before designing the outlets? And the list goes on.

Restaurant as an industry which contributes lots in the development of a city making it liveable for the occupants has many legal clichés and over regulations on the sector which is killing the growth. Looking at the global market, cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Vegas, and London which are one of the top most visited cities globally has an exciting restaurant and nightlife scenario which is attracting the global masses. “Restaurants are very important part of the infrastructure of the city. Places like Dubai Mall alone see 100 million people every year. And, only 8 million people come to India which also includes people who come from Nepal,” shares Riyaaz Amlani, Restaurateur and President- NRAI who is working hard to build a nightlife and restaurant story line adding that restaurant and nightlife is actually the face, personality of a city.

For a sector which is very vibrant and charismatic do you think that regulations are sort of paying the sector down? Do you think at some point in time a stronger lobby needs to be formed with the government because new rules are announced daily which is very detrimental for the success of a restaurant? Food hubs like CyberHub became a high way destination with announcements like liquors couldn’t be served which is very dangerous for the industry. In Delhi there is new law where all restaurants will allow their toilets to be used by everybody for a payment of Rs 5. Such kind of regulations is really creating hindrance for the restaurant industry. The main problem is that restaurants as a sector is highly fragmented industry. Today, the industry needs a representation and a voice. “If you want talent to come and live in your city the most important thing is the restaurant,” shares Amlani adding that right now the problem is we have got 36 different licenses just to sell a sandwich.

Restaurant industry is currently a 3 lakh crore business which is growing at the pace of about 10 per cent year on year and is seven times the size of hotel business. So, the number is huge and the opportunity is huge. In mega metros such as Mumbai and Delhi the average eating out by its customers’ is 4 times in a month. Cities like Singapore are eating out 55 times a month. So, if you look at there is phenomenal headroom available for growth. So, the industry is just getting started. Over seven hundred and one million people are below the age of 30 and every year many people get added to the dining out customer base. So, if the dining out frequency goes to eight or nine from four and you multiply that by the population who are your restaurants customers’ base you are looking at phenomenal growth.

"Growth is unquestionable and there is tremendous opportunity and the restaurant owners are still looking at the tip of the icebergs. A lot can be done; a lot has to be done," points Amlani. Restaurants go very long way in making their city liveable. Restaurants hold the community and entire infrastructure together. Hence, we really need to build that.

What is the whole idea behind ‘Palate of Delhi’?

Palate of Delhi – POD was conceptualised as a food gallery focused on customer convenience, great food and ambience. A great mix of the most popular eateries of Delhi which include Haldiram’s, Khan Chacha, Bercos, Moti Mahal Delux, Chaayos, Domino’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Keventers, Wow Momo!, Chicago Pizza, Burger King’s First Drive Thru of Delhi. We created a destination which has a feel of a café and food offering from the best brands. POD has an advantage of the location and also offers convenience of a Co-Working Space, WIFI and Plug Ins.

How have you selected the restaurants with a right mix of different categories and brands?

We had clearly defined brand selection criteria according to the popularity of the brands and cuisines to be offered at Palate of Delhi. We focused of the eateries which truly belonged to Delhi.

How have you designed the space keeping in mind the brand mix that you own?

We have designed the space keeping in mind a young and aspiring audience which complements the food offering at Palate of Delhi.

What is the partnership criteria between the restaurants and Palate of Delhi? What is the duration of lease?

All brands are on a combination of fixed and variable rental with medium and long term leases.

Why have you chosen DhaulaKuan as a location? Do you think opting for CP or IIT as a location would draw a more mature crowd?

Every location has its strength and weaknesses whether its CP or IIT. We looked upon this opportunity as there is no place to stop en-route to Gurgaon starting from the periphery of Delhi, also there is a large cantonment catchment and Delhi University south campus which we served from the perspective of national and international food offering.

We have witnessed a sudden rise in Delhi with food destinations and food malls. What’s do you think is the reason?

Delhi has a large growing young social target group which is looking forward to engaging socially. This gives a rising demand for such places which has comfort, convenience and best food offering.

Who are you targeting as an audience?

We are targeting the university students, residents in the catchment, transit guests and traffic between Gurgaon and Delhi as our customers.

You have also got Delhi’s first Burger King drive thru. How easy/difficult was it to get them on board?

This was a unique opportunity for both of us so there was mutual willing to get on board.

How are you marketing the brand to customers?

We have aggressive marketing plans for customers. We are currently offering 20% discount to defence personnel under campaign salute and serve.

Now that you are already operational, what is the footfall that you are getting?

We are currently serving 25000 – 30000 guests per month which we see rising on a daily basis as the place is getting popular. The metro station is getting connected to south campus metro station which would be taking the foot falls 10-fold benefitting the place immensely.

Do you see any competitions from food hubs like Epicuria or CyberHub which have already become a dining destination in the city?

Epicuria and Cyber hub are not comparable to us due to the sheer sizes of the respective properties. However, the offerings at Palate of Delhi has already made it a destination for a quick bite or meeting or catching up with friends.

What’s your plan for expanding the brand and its portfolio?

We are definitely looking forward for such opportunities to expand the portfolio.

Food business scenario in India is changing with every single day. Being an occasion driven place, it has become a place to be. The stuffs, the quality of food that we used to get at a five star restaurants are easily available at much affordable pricing at the new upcoming set of restaurants. This is making restaurants at these hotels to either change their model or keep innovating with time. There is so much of competition in the sector and once you decide on a restaurant and the idea is all ready to be positioned, you notice that somebody in your neighbour copying your idea. “The restaurants are mushrooming a lot. The younger generation is very innovative. You don’t know what is hitting you,” says Chef Sumant Vikas, Corporate Chef-Cremica Foods.

But with the mushrooming of new age stand alone restaurants that are matching the same standard to that of a star restaurant cost benefit is a challenge. Retaining of staff is challenge as the average of the kitchen employee in all these restaurants are maximum one year. “There was a time when hotel chefs feel very proud because their restaurant was the star of the hotel but young entrepreneurs who are opening beautiful restaurants and stand alone restaurant have given them a good competition.” adds Vikas. Also, as the stand alone restaurants are priced a bit sensitively with the same experience as a 5 star restaurants, customers are shifting from in-hotel restaurants to these places because they are getting a better variety at a more competitive price.

Known for their speciality

In-hotels restaurants are always speciality restaurants where they bring in the speciality chefs to do the cuisine. Also, 5 star hotels keep on doing food fests and events to promote cuisine which is also a good practice to boost the growth of the cuisine which these restaurants hardly entertain. Known for their standards which have been followed for years the menu is extraordinary. Chefs coming to the table and taking order is another personal touch that the star restaurants add. “Chefs are becoming more flamboyant and customer centric. Also, we keep on doing at least 4-5 food festivals to make customers taste varied cuisines and also we change our menu 3 times a year to attract our customers who have got bored of our menu and are looking at stand alone restaurants,” points Chef Karthikeyan S of The Rice Boat Kochi.

Though, when we go ten years back restaurant business was about guest satisfaction, today it is about customer delight. And, that is the reason they are able to stand with the star restaurants.

“As a customer I would make 2-3 visits probably to a hotel restaurant but stand alone has become a place which is pocket friendly and affordable to make multiple trips. That’s where people tend to go to stand alone to a 5 star restaurants,” comments Owner at Bundar Café Bengaluru. 

“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can” Nikos Kazantzakis

Taking the above quote into consideration, many individuals, organisations and entities set their future professional voyage on one single aspect ‘Belief’.Under the food and hospitality sector, numerous brands toil hard enough in order to gain customer loyalty and fame. Motivation is one of the key drivers that refuels these brands time to time. The Indian Restaurant Awards 2016, sponsored by Cremica, took an opportunity to recognise the persistent hard work of brands co-existing under the hospitality sector. The flamboyant event was held on the evening of August 2016 to acknowledge the contribution of market leaders and innovators from the Restaurant fraternity. Organised by Franchise India and judged by leading business experts including Ms. Ritu Marya, Editor-in-Chief of the group, these awards were the perfect opportunity to showcase awardees’ outstanding success in the industry, as they received national recognition and widespread media coverage with the partners.

In the last five years, Indian Restaurant Congress and Awards has become the authority and the final word when it comes to food and beverages in the country. This event was attended by top names of the industry. Some of the top most attendees spotted at the IRC awards included, Celebrity Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi, AD Singh, MD, Olive Bar & Kitchen, Leena Singh of Ashima Leena, Sahil Malik, MD, Da Milano and Priyank Sukhija, who has become one of the most talked restaurateur in Delhi. The prestigious brands that were a part of the evening included Burger King, Mrs. Bector’s Food Specialties Ltd., Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd., K Hospitality Corp., Select CityWalk, Lazeez Affaire Groups amongst other.

“When it comes to PAN India, you need to be traditional with that WOW thing” Harpal Singh Sokhi, Celebrity Chef

“We are overwhelmed by the response from the industry and take this opportunity to congratulate the top awardees” Ritu Marya, Franchise India

The list of categories and awardees are as follows:

Mumbai, once known for its Iranian- Parsi restaurants serving chai bun maska, Dhansak and Kebabs is witnessing steady disappearance of these restaurants with growing influence of western exotic food with the current young generation. The city is left with just 20 Iranian restaurants so far. Thus, to trace the rich heritage of Parsi food, Restaurantindia.in visited Ideal Corner, the 30 year old Iranian restaurant operating at Fort in South Mumbai and spoke to its Next Gen Founder Parvez Patel.

How has been the journey of Ideal restaurant so far?

The journey so far was very comfortable. When we started, the hotel industry was a money making business. In the peak years of stock market from 1993 to 2000, our business was thriving, our restaurants were popular among peoples who use to come for trading and have lunch in our restaurant. In those days the restaurant would be packed with people, but now there is no single person. Ours was an absolute morning restaurant. We use to serve corporate people during working hours. Slowly, but surely this area is getting vacated, as most business houses and people have moved to central and sub-urban cities and we are left with very little business now.

Our restaurant has served prominent personalities like Tatas and Balasaheb Thackeray. They use to love the food served at the restaurant.

Since the restaurant was started by your aunt, how did you continue with its legacy?

I was really fascinated with running a restaurant. Fortunately my aunt, Gulcher Irani who started this restaurant in 1985 made a very good beginning. Whatever she served and cooked was excellent and that developed a brand image, so I had a good platform to take off. I did my schooling in Nashik and shifted to Mumbai in 1979. My father wanted me do engineering, but as was not good in maths, after 10^th I started working with Oberoi Sheraton hotel. Seeing this, my aunt asked me to join her and that’s how as I began my journey at the age of 29 as a bachelor.

What is the USP of your food that defines its Iranian identity?

The taste of our food preserved over the years speaks for itself. We only serve Parsi food which includes Dhansak and Kebabs, Mutton Salli Boti, Kheema Gotala or Fried Egg, Kheema Salli, Bheja Fry, Chicken Salli, Chicken Farcha n Chips, Chicken or Mutton Cutlet, Parsi Porto, Bharuchi Akuri among other leading dishes besides desserts. We are considered as value for money restaurant and always have been complemented for that. .

Which particular parsi dish is largely preferred by the customers?

Dhansak and Kebabs is the identity of Parsi food; Mutton Dhansak and Chicken Dhansak with brown rice and kebabs are the favourites among diners at our restaurant. Still many of our customers from India and abroad return to our place eagerly to taste our dishes which have ethically been maintained over the years.

How you keep up with the same taste?

Whether it’s a supplier, ingredients or whatever the inputs we purchase we keep the same for thirty years. I always do surprise checks on quality and remain vigil about quality so nothing has changed in our cuisine over the years. We tried European food meanwhile but it did not work.

Why the Parsi restaurants are ceasing to their existence?

Around 20 years back Vada Pav or Bun Maska Chai were the only choice a common man had but today the more cuisines and restaurants have come up. Current generation with growing spending power don’t prefer traditional wholesome. With the invention of internet the world has become a small place and everybody wants to try something else following which old style restaurants like us are beaten by the competition.

Why the next generation of Parsi’s is not keen on continuing the legacy of their restaurants?

Running a restaurant is a hard work. The current generation is very sophisticated. They lack greed, determination and passion to run the restaurant. They are very calculative with the mind and their practical knowledge is zero. They want fine branded, fully air conditioned restaurant with good looking staff and it doesn’t work. They think it’s a headache to handle the supply chain and rather they prefer to work for MNCs to earn handsome salary. Earlier there use to be mouth-to-mouth publicity of the restaurant and now it’s a more of show-off.

Some Parsi’s are getting involved in restaurant business but not as many as before and since they understand the technology they are using it as a big help. But still the ratio of participation is 10/100.

What are your future turnaround plans?

We are still that old school guys, not tech savvy and smart phone and social media friendly which is pushing us back. Now, we are stagnant and there is a need of the hour that we have to innovate, twist our menu with keeping originality and becoming tech savvy to get more footfalls. We are planning a turnaround with campaigning on digital and social media to reach out to more people and convert them into footfalls. 

Celebrate the purest bond of love this Mother’s Day with a grand celebration at your mother’s favourite restaurant or taking her out on a lavish gastronomic date. Restaurants and hotels are all geared up to welcome your mother’s on the special day.

This Mothers Day, pamper your mom at Radisson Blu, Paschim Vihar, which provides a wide array of choices. Make special memories with your mother at Radisson’s acclaimed restaurants giving you complementary offers, a small heart shaped pastry on arrival and signature “Ice Tea / Blu Topaz” mocktail. Treat her with special brunch @ Level 2. Delight your mother with the Spa experience at Vyoma Spa with 20 per cent discount and 50 per cent on all soft beverages and on “selected liquor brands”.

One can also enjoy the lip- smacking recipes made with the secret of chefs complementing with mouth watering desserts. Also, one lucky winner will get a chance to win 2 nights complementary stay at Radisson Blu Jaipur. All you need to do is post a selfie with your mom on their FB page and avail the offer.

Similarly, you can also take your mom on a day out at Asian Kitchen & Aristo Spa to give her a break from the monotonous routine that she follows throughout the year.

Mothers work round the clock all throughout the year, without a break and deserve to be shown gratitude and appreciation for their timeless contribution to our lives. This Mother’s Day, let’s all join together to pamper her the way she did all the years. Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai, Vashi plans to pamper all these exceptional women with various offers ranging from beauty to food.

The hotel has curated a special package for mothers to enjoy a relaxing and refreshing day with their loved ones. Walk in with your mother and indulge in the various offers, which are tailor made for you to make your mother feel as special as she makes you feel every day. Enjoy a complimentary welcome drink on arrival and a 50 per cent discount on food and soft beverages while you and your mother enjoy the exotic spread at the Sunday Brunch at Asian Kitchen. Avail of a 25 per cent discount on spa treatments at Aristo Spa and treat your mother to a relaxing afternoon. All mothers will have a special gift to take back home and 1 Lucky winner will be chosen for a complimentary bliss massage.

Treat your mother to a day that she will never forget, with a scrumptious brunch and live music at her favourite restaurant.

Moets, the heritage restaurant in Defence Colony has come up with a pan-asian restaurant, Oh Bao.

Coming from the house of Moets, a landmark eatery in Delhi’s elite Defence colony market, Oh Bao! brings to the table a range of designer Sushis, delectable dimsums and much-talked about Baos.

A bright cheerful graffiti of the Chinaman invites you in a spacious casual dining area with 85 covers capacity, divided into two dining sections and a sushi bar. Comfortable seating, attentive staff and well stocked bar will take care of all your culinary aspirations.

Both the sections can be converted into a private dining area to cater to parties big and small.

In house specialties like OB Pork Belly, Tofu Aniseed, angry lobster and Glazed Salmon Bao are a must try.

The Trio Mushroom dumplings, with filling of three types of Mushrooms, and Crystal Veg Dumpling along with a specially crafted menu of designer Sushis will keep your taste buds tantalized.

The experimental cuisine which reflects a contemporary take on oriental is the brainchild of Chef Saurav Bhatnagar(who has previously worked as the Head of Sushi Department in Wasabi by Marimoto in Taj Hotel) and restaurateur Mehreen Bindra.

The flavoursome Bao's dim sums and designer Sushis are something one cannot afford to miss as the new concept comes straight from the kitchens of Honk Kong.  

Pa Pa Ya is a modern, cutting edge restaurant that relies on advanced culinary techniques such as molecular gastronomy; the restaurant design is representative of the philosophy showcased through its cuisine, where various cuboids in the shape of molecules capturing the walls and ceiling of the restaurant growing organically in the wall and ceiling, giving the impression of getting the molecules out of the kitchen, into your dining space.

The design also extensively uses the contemporary technique of 3D spatial mapping to create a live, dynamic restaurant ambiance, rather than the static walls that most restaurants have.

It has given the restaurant a complete futuristic look, with everyone dining here talking about its interiors and the high quality, cutting edge, progressive cuisine served with a high energy dining ambiance.

Completed in about 3 – 4 months, the restaurant is spread across 2300 sq ft (approx) {Dining area: 1524 sq ft – carpet area, excluding walls; Kitchen 602.56 sq ft – carpet area, excluding walls; grand total 2308 sq ft, including walls.

“Pa Pa Ya is a high energy dining concept that encapsulates all the five senses into the dining experience. The philosophy behind Pa Pa Ya is simple - present Asian food & drink with a twist. This is done through a mix of cutting edge cooking techniques such as molecular gastronomy & mixology, which has been used throughout the menu wherever it genuinely adds value, in a sense for it to be a combination of art and science,” shared Zorawar Kalra, MD & CEO, Massive Restaurants.

Store Profile: a) Size of the store: 2300 sq ft (approx) {Dining area: 1524 sq ft – carpet area, excluding walls; Kitchen 602.56 sq ft – carpet area, excluding walls; grand total 2308 sq ft, including walls) b) Total floors: one c) Year of launch: 2015 d) Address: Level 3, Palladium Mall, Lower Parel, Mumbai

We wanted to offer people a different kind of theme, a theme which was sufficient on its own. Therefore, we decided to go ahead with the idea of opening a country pub with pastoral look. We started working on this project from June 2015 and finally everything got into place by December 2015. The reason for choosing Connaught Place as the spot was because of the underlying motive of making our brand more accessible to our customers and to be connected with youth. CP has eventually turned as a quite happening place and most preferable hangout zone among youth. The other reason of choosing CP was that it has a colonial effect set up by Britishers. So, we wanted a place which has a traditional effect.

Tell us about your journey to become an entrepreneur?

We shared a common passion of opening a restaurant, but we were not sure of what to open, where to open and its implications. We took inspirations from various legends in this industry, who are doing well and then we started strategizing things one by one. We finalized the theme and then started short listing articles and pointers, which will help us to distinguish from others. We started looking for a place in or around inner circle of CP from December 2014 and finally chose our spot in M block outer Circle by June 2015. We started our journey in July 2015 and went through various challenges in terms of permissions from authorities, finalizing the contractors for civil works, consultant for kitchen and bar, furniture style and vendors etc. Bringing all that together, we created ‘House of Commons’. It is a success story which is difficult to put on papers, but we think it was our ‘Passion and Zeal’ towards opening a Gastro pub.

What cuisines you have in your product line?

Menu is extensive featuring from Salads to Pastas, wraps to noodles, biryani to tikkas, we have all. We have also taken inspirations from England and created our food and drinks accordingly. Our menu is a world cuisine including Italian, Continental, Indian and Chinese. We have kept a separate section of “quickies”, if you are looking for a quick meal specially to cater the corporate crowd during lunch hours. The food is meaty and comforting, includes the Gastronomic experience. The menu is shaped to maintain the balance between the typical Gastro pub food, best of Indian and International fusion.

What is your marketing approach to survive in this market?

We as a team wanted to offer our customers pleasure of having quality food and drinks. With this underlying idea, we have used the concept of Gastronomy, which is a law of regulating stomach. We give special attention to our food because we have noticed that most of the Pubs are not focusing on the same. Drinks are more or less same in almost all the outlets, but food is something, which makes a place special to revisit.

We are keeping our marketing approach in line with special focus on foodies. We are trying to pair food with excellent range of cocktails such as Drunken Tea Master and Deconstructed Sex on the Beach. Our marketing approach includes pitching corporate for get-togethers and parties and entertaining the walk-in youngsters. We also putting special focus on sports events such as English Premier League and inviting football lovers to watch the screening on our Big Screen.

Who are your competitors in the business?

Frankly, we do not believe in competition. It’s a small market, small place with a limited crowd. At present, we are trying to put ourselves apart. We are offering our guest something unique in food, music, drinks; football matches screening, moments and fun. We believe such moments spent at HOC will be the trigger to visit again.

What are the major logistics challenges faced by start-ups like you?

Since we are new in this industry, we encountered many challenges in terms of designing interiors, technical, music setup, furniture, Bar and Kitchen. We have taken help from various consultants at all stages to see them off. Once the place is functional,   we still face issues in terms of vendors, quality of food, ingredients to be procured and of course the costing in terms of operational expenses.

According to you, what are the top trends that will drive the industry in 2016?

We feel that the customers must feel special when they are visiting any outlet. So, service delivery in terms of TAT and promptness, attitude of stewards and managers towards the guest, offerings in terms of food and music will be the distinguishing factors in the industry. Apart from the above, customers also look at various innovative things that the outlet is doing for serving their food and drinks. Molecular technology, which is used these days, will remain for years to come. 

What is your expansion plan?

At present, we wish to focus on running this outlet successfully and gain some recognition in the market. However, we also plan to venture with the ‘upper house of UK parliament’ by the coming year.

Tell us about your journey until you opened this restaurant?

In 2010, we started this on our own and now it is six years old. It is with the help of our sheer hard work and our customers; we have built a credible brand. . We're connected to the grassroots and we prefer passion over profit any day. Our restaurant has grown from 20   to 200 seater and we constantly endeavour to keep the same touch and feel that we created six years back. We've learnt a lot of lessons over the years and still adapting to new things every day that keeps us going strong.

What are the challenges faced to manage a restaurant?

Since we are self-funded, finance was an initial restraint and concern for us. But after six years and two successful restaurants we fortunately don’t have to focus much on that. We have regular challenges like staff attrition and inflationary supply costs, but I would say that our main concern at the moment is focussing on consistent quality of our food and also meeting high expectations that our customers set for us.

How do you decide on pricing keeping your target customers in the mind?

Well, I guess the basic philosophy with which we have started still hold good for us. We always wanted to be known not just as a friendly homely neighbourhood cafe, but a place that customers would visit frequently on a daily basis and not just for occasions. So, with that in mind we had to keep the pricing as realistic and reasonable as possible. That's why we have a mid level pricing model.

Do you have any plans to go the online way as other restaurants are keen on sharing online space? Elaborate.

Today, for a sustainable business you have to be connected to the online space, whether you like it or not. Competition has also moved to the online space and it is not competing for business, but also for recognition and modernity from customers. We currently service customers with home deliveries and private ordering online.  In the near future we’re looking to expand on opportunities to set different trends for people connecting with us online to keep us current and trending. 

What is your view on strategic marketing?

It's necessary, if you want to stay connected to this market. It's important to first identify your group of potential customers before you prepare a marketing plans to reach out to them.

According to you what are the top trends that will drive the industry in 2016?

I think people are looking for new trends every day.  As long as you keep your customers intrigued with new ideas and food, they'll come back with a sense of adventurism. The food industry is moving into a very interesting space, where entrepreneurs are now much bolder than before and customers aren't afraid to spend money to try something new. The standard of food has defiantly improved in 2015 and 2016 it looks more exciting and interesting.

What is your expansion plans?

Currently, we are in two locations and might be looking to tie up with people in other states. For instance, we plan a set up outside Bangalore.

Chef Vipul Arora, with seven years of culinary experience in a number of upscale luxury hotels like Le meridian, Olive Bar and Kitchen (a Standalone restaurant called ‘Fat Ninja’) has gained expertise in a variety of international and Indian cuisines. He always wanted to fly high and create something of his own, breaking the monotony. Although his father is a businessman and his wife is a government school teacher, Vipul wanted to stand out in the crowd and then he decided to become a chef. However it wasn’t a cake walk for him as he had to convince his parents about making a career in this field.

How gourmet food is shaping the growth of Indian food industry?

Everybody knows about normal food, but gourmet food is easily available in Indian market. And, people understand gourmet food and quality as they have became more aware about it. Five years back one had to go to five star hotels to have gourmet food, but now it is easily available in delivery too. It is really growing fast in Indian market.

How different or difficult is to design menu for online?

In restaurants, you have kitchen close by and you can serve immediately. But in a delivery company the only difference is we cannot serve anything straight away to the customer and therefore we can’t do the same garnishing, plating or presentation like restaurants.

In delivery we have to keep in mind things like packaging, boxes and the food should be hot before it is delivered.

How do you maintain the authenticity of the food and the ingredients?

For food, we only use authentic ingredients as we understand the importance of ingredients in a dish rather than serving in a restaurant.  

What is your method of working, at the time when you get numerous orders?

Our whole menu is pre-planned and we don’t change menu daily unlike others. In weekend or weekdays we reassure order size.

According to you what are the top trends that will drive the industry in 2016?

Top trends will be hyper local delivery; everyone will try to enter into food delivery business as it is growing. Nobody wants to go at five stars, good food will be easily delivered and cooking oriented restaurants will be available.

What is the format of the food prepared at a base kitchen?

The format is same, which is happening in food industry. We have same certification, guidelines as of a five star restaurants.  

Loofre, table reservation platform defines the experience of dining in a new way. Loofre is helping restaurants to grow by increasing their footfall, wean the diners to discover the perfect table according to their mood, cuisine, budget, ambience and find the best restaurants nearby with best offers.

Tell us about your journey to become an entrepreneur?

It is  fun to be an entrepreneur, especially when you leave your settled senior level job. Life becomes more exciting and you become crisis management officer. Also, earn all aspect of life, right from admin to business development.

How is the response so far?

Responses are very positive, especially at merchant's end. They want to be a part of this technology solution. They tried our solution during New Year party and most of them were really satisfied. In short span of time, we have  800 merchants and stationed  across metros adding 250 merchants every month.

How is the technology helping restaurant business to grow?

Technology is not for growth of business, but to organise it.. We want merchants to let go the  pen paper model of reservation. Reservation needs to be with technology and data management. Next month, we will be launching a merchant mobile app, which will help in reservation to a next level.

How is Loofre bridging the gap?

We are giving a technology solution for reservation, so that the customers avaoid waiting time. . Restaurant can manage the customers and their database. Through our technology solution will ensure smarter and easier way for booking.

What competition you see from Zomato and others?

Zomato has great products and shows the world that Indian company can do wonders across the globe. They have launched the service and we think there is a requirement of three to four serious players for developing reservation habit.

How many partner restaurant you have presently?

We have 800 and by the end of March we will have 4000 plus merchants.

How quick is the process of booking?

We ensure customers can book within two minutes and confirmation in 15 min. As soon as  we  have the merchant app,  it will be a real time conformation.

What special offers you provide in festivals?

In month of February, we are giving two cups of cappuccino on every booking. On 14th February, we are giving special INR 500 Voucher with every reservation.

Founded in Pretoria, South Africa in 1993, Barcelos has grown exponentially which led it to start franchising in 1998. It has been expanding continuously and enjoys its presence in 17 countries with 120 outlets.  

How successful you have been in growing India?

We are very happy with the success and results in India. We have opened our first outlet 10 months ago, now this is our second outlet we are opening.  At the present, we are hoping to open four more shops in next 60 days.

As you were looking for franchisees to expand your business in India, is this the franchisee outlet? What are the qualities do you see in your franchise partner?

For the time being, we are looking for more on corporate stores than franchise outlet ;however franchising is very high on our gowth Agenda for this year. The qualities which we look for is the dedication and hard work. It is not about the money but somebody who would contribute in the growing of the brand, looking for the shop and working on the parameters of the brand structures. Not just the investment in the shop but active partner in the business.

You have experimented with different colours of burgers. Would you have a standard or variable menu across stores?

Footfall has definitely increased with our coloured burgers, but it is  really not for one product, we have many other products also. Our, sales are good and quiet popular among the youngsters.

Everywhere in India we will be having the same menu and standardisation. The menu will be identical in all the stores in India. But at the same time, in India the menu is little bit different from the rest of the world as we have vegetarian dishes to cater the urban population with varieties of Cocktails from Protogues.

What is your expansion plans? Are you working on any new concept or model to expand yourbusiness?

We are planning 40 outlets in next five years and that too in 12 biggest cities in India. We are working on couple of new food products but the model and the menu will be same. We have kept limited addition and want the customers to enjoy that only.

Chef Puneet Jain began his career from working in the kitchen team of Mc Donalds, The Oberoi hotels and now as co-founder of Buenos. Puneet decided to start Buenos when he moved back to Delhi and got an opportunity to meet Rohan and Vipul, who fortunately had same vision and shared similar interests. He wanted to utilise his culinary skills along with being part of the administration. His experience of working with five star hotels paid off really well and they together decided to start Bueno in the year 2012. He is of the view that being the co-founder at Buenos is like having a child and seeing it grow day by day, taking wrong and right decisions together and learning each day. Chef Puneet, believes that authenticity is the key ingredient to fine food. Born and brought up in New Delhi, Puneet is a Diploma holder in Hospitality & Tourism Management (Certified from AHLA - American Hotel & Lodging Association) from Rai University.

As you have worked for the Kitchen at Mc Donalds’s, how difficult it was it for you to work for a food tech player?

Yes, I have worked for many kitchens and it was same working for online too. But the only difficulty was that people in food tech were non educated, the training was a bit challenging and it was tough to make people understand what food tech is all about. And, it is a pack food, there is no dine in like restaurants only eat out. 

How gourmet food is shaping the growth of Indian food industry?

It is shaping in a good way as now people understand what this food is and how it is served. Now, people have started travelling, so they know the difference between a gourmet food and a normal food and what people are consuming these days.

How difficult is it to design a menu online?

The main challenge is to deliver the food to the customer in 30-45 minutes. So, the shelf line, presentation and quality of food have to be taken into consideration. For instance, while travelling, the food has to be warm. We have to make the menu according to it and that is the reason everything is not included in the menu. We also make the customer understand why everything is not included in the menu.

How do you maintain the authenticity of food and the ingredients?

The supply chain from the backend is managed by us (chefs) only. We also try to go outside to get the best of ingredients to add in the supply chain. We ensure to have everything in the supply chain before preparing the food.  

What is your method of working, at the time when you get numerous orders?

Every day we are prepared for 500 orders. Even after that we get some more orders, we are ready for it.

According to you what are the top trends that will drive the industry in 2016?

Gourmet food is something different that people has not tasted, but can be one of the top trends in 2016. New presentation of food, experimenting with new kinds of dishes and way of serving will also change.

What is the format of the food prepared at a base kitchen?

The base kitchen is made everything in a semi cook way and it is proportionate from our end. Whenever the order comes in the kitchen, it is delivered after assembling and re-garnishing.

What are the reasons that restaurants today are revamping their menu and design?

Because the online market has hit them very badly, the real estate cost is five times more than the online. So restaurateurs keep changing the menu and redesign the elements after every six months to get more customers. 

What are the design elements you kept in mind while designing this theme restaurant?

As I said that we are theme-based cafe and you must be aware that our theme was not an easy one. As the name suggests The Bollywood cafe" you can judge what Mumbai Matinee is all about. While designing, we only considered our childhood times where we grew up watching movie actors, bollywood songs etc. The technology used for entertainment in our cafe was selectively picked to display at our restaurant. People are welcome anytime to relive the Bollywood era of 50s-90s.

Do you serve cuisines with filmy names?

There is no such filmy cuisine but yes with the name Mumbai Matinee come the patent dish from Maharashtra which is Vada Pao and Missal Pao.

What are the challenges you face to manage a restaurant?

Well, managing a restaurant is one of the most courteous jobs for today. In F&B industry, quality is the biggest parameter for the restaurateurs to live up to.

Do you have any planning to go online like other restaurants?

If we would like to go online like other restaurants, then it won't be for home delivery. But I would love to go online for different reasons.

What was the reason behind choosing ‘Bollywood theme’ for your restaurants?

Picking Bollywood theme for restaurant is not an easy job. I have seen various cafes and restaurants on this theme. But I believe just by printing few legendary films and framing them on walls doesn't make it a Bollywood cafe. Before launching Mumbai matinee we actually researched for six to seven months. It was like a complete thesis which we have done. From the start of the cinematic experience which was "Alam Are” to "hum Apke hai Kaun”.

And we can only attract people around us by serving good food. An ambience may give you a lot of customers but good food, brings along repeat value for your restaurant. I have one and only principle to run this industry that is “if your food tastes great" there is no one who can pull you back.

What is your average footfall?

It is good enough to run a restaurant successfully.

What is your expansion plan?

Expansion is indeed a very important factor. But we are waiting for the right time.

Are you planning to launch anything for this New Year?

For us every festival is as important as others. We decorate and beautify our cafe for every celebration.

Satvikk is a health food store which opened its first branch in Bengaluru in Dec 2011. It has now spread its base to 8 stores in Bengaluru. The company’s vision is to be a model in the food industry for sale of all types of vegetarian packed products and a path setter in the changing paradigm of nutritional needs and health improvement of all strata of populations. How long has your company been in the business? What is the speciality of your store?

Satvikk Speciality Foods brings to you the best quality spices, dry fruits & chocolates, sourced from the finest farms and processed at state-of- the-art facilities. With over four generations of experience in the field of food business, we strive to continuously raise our benchmark to provide services of the highest quality and excellence. Satvikk guarantees fresh and high quality food products in each and every pack.

Currently, we carry over 50 varieties of Dry Fruits, 120 varieties of Dry fruit gift box, 80 varieties of Chocolates and 60 varieties of spices aimed at servicing all areas of the food service industry. Established in the year 1978, Jain India group is one of the largest importers and exporters of spices and dry fruits. We have offices across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Sakleshpur and distributors throughout India.

What are the star attractions of your store?

Satvikk has always been keen to provide its customers, an exceptional variety of its irresistible, nutritious and healthy choice of fresh food products. We have an extensive collection of almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, raisins, figs, dry and wet dates, walnuts and also a few rare nuts like the macadamia nuts, Californian prunes, Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, gojiberries and the pecan nuts are some of our star attractions. We take great care that they retain the same freshness when it reaches you.

We have a rare collection of herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, mixed herbs and much more, to add that special flavour to your dishes. Our store is also hoarded with low calorie chips, potato lacha and much more. We also have oil-free papads, mixtures and diet snacks for the fitness freaks. We are always willing to listen to and understand your needs. We care about each and every customer as if you were part of our family.

How do you get your payments? Do you have online shopping available?

We have payment facilities like Cash, Cheque, Debit & Credit card, Coupon, DD, RTGS, NEFT etc.

Yes, you can shop online at www.satvikk.in and get free home delivery.

How do you decide on pricing for the Indian market?

We believe in right pricing and the right product for best quality and purity. All our products are priced at par in the market.

Where do you source your products from?

We have imported from every corner of the world including England, America, Australia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Europe that will make your taste buds roll.

What is the supply chain process at your end?

We have an in-house cold storage facility and more than 30,000 sq. feet of space for storage, sorting, and packing the products.

Name some of your niche products and clients?

Dry Fruits, Dry fruit gift boxes, Spices, Chocolates, International & Indian Food products.  Clients are Metro Cash & Carry, Max Hyper markets, Future group, Heritage, Godrej Nature’s Basket and Bigbasket.com etc.

Do you think the import laws imposed by the government are too stringent to follow?

The laws are stringent, but at the same time, are needed to protect quality and quantity of the food products that comes into the country. The laws should be for the overall betterment of the industry and should help protect the consumer interests.

What are your current activities related to branding, marketing and expansion?

We actively participate in trade exhibitions, expos and international food festivals. We also engage with our consumers on social media, Radio ads and print ads.

As you are the largest providers of F&B services for travelers. What growth can we see in India?

As I said before I have seen that the growth is growing 20 percent in India. And our sale continuously going to increase and even Lite bite Foods has said that we want to target around 500 crores in 4-5 years from now.  The real potential can’t be estimated. Airports are easier but railways have more potential. Even nobody is in highway, nobody know what sales will it bring. So, we want to take the first part of the call.

Which according to you is the best revenue generating location when it comes to travel?

Airports are the best location. Even in airports you have to see different sectors. I see mainly three sectors i.e. Location, location and location. We look at low fare airports, leisure airports and business airports.

Tell us something about your partnership with Lite Bite Foods. What all locations are you targeting in India?

We have many partnerships outside. Partnerships are always very existing part. We always team up with local partner, with family companies to marketise.

For example, two years back in Vietnam we started, now we are 6 airports and planning more outlets. We have three airports in Indonesia, all are local partners. We are targeting especially three sections i.e. airports, train stations and highways. Our primes focus will be airports. Second will be railway stations, if government does some changes, railway stations will have more potential than airports.

Which are some of the brands who are your biggest partners? Which according to you is the traveler’s choice?

I had just said that we have a very old concept for our company. I am reluctant to talk about any brands. Globally we have relationship with major brands like pizza, KFC etc. We look at market, democracy, consumers and then we decide what fit best for that.

Our company is in this business for more than 150 years. We see reliable partners and where we can see to extend our partnership, we do so. Travelers are of different types. There are travelers who travel twice or thrice in a week, for them it is natural. But when they travel with family, they make different choices. And the choice depends on different occasion and purpose of travel.

What are the unique experiences that make HMS Host different from any other service providers?

“We are seen global but act local”. Our company is known for the good management. We are also business provider, Food & beverages, hospitality and our biggest assets is our people our staff. We spend lot of time in interacting, training and educating our people. We also promote our people in turnover. We are unique because of our operational skills which focus expertise, right time, right number of staff, right concepts, right opening hours etc.

We also development skills, analyze airports, understand the need of the travelers, which concept should be use and where. 900 million people come every year in our restaurant. We understand the need of our customers.

What is your expansion plans?

We want our market share in Europe and in America. And internationally, China, Southeast Asia, India, UAE and Middle East.

Are you planning to sign any franchisee deal?

We have some plans of franchise in future. We are working on Italian concepts; Italian food and we are even doing some tests on them. I won’t exclude that opportunity.

Tell us something about your company? How long has your company been in the business?

Our company got established in 1895 as a joint family venture. At that time our company was into import and export of walnuts and morels. We are situated in New Delhi. We have a widespread network of retail business in over eighteen states. We import food from all over the world mainly USA, Mexico, Chile, Europe and Thailand. In 1997 we started importing olives and fruits. We are the first company to bring pasta and olives in India and our first customers were pizza hut and dominos.

What are the payment terms and return policies?

Today, as the competition is increasing, I don’t think payments do matter here. We try to build healthy relations with our clients by providing them the best possible offers and terms.  Sometimes, if payments are delayed, so we have to put interest charges in that case.

How do you decide prices for Indian market?

This remains one of the most difficult and important aspect. We try to provide the most competitive prices in the market. There are several factors on which the prices on goods in Indian market depend. Firstly, we calculate the interest cost on our capital, landing cost, running cost, delivery cost and then our 10% margin which is our right. So it contributes around 40% hike in the prices for Indian market.

Brief us about your products and name some of your clients?

Today we import olives, different varieties of olive oil, pastas, tomatoes, Italian rice, variety of mushrooms from France, different varieties of sauces, coffee syrup, cheese, herbs & spices, Mexican popcorn, Mexican pepper, Spanish pickle, a wide range of Lebanese products, corn and Thai products. We have all major restaurant chains and retail stores as our clients. Also QSR chains like Pizza hut and Dominos are among our clients.

What is the supply chain process? Do you supply the products outside India also?

We have distributors in all areas who supply our products to the end customer. We have a very widespread network. We supply the products to every state and city of India, apart from that we also export to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and also we are getting orders from Pakistan.

Do you have online shopping available?

Yes, we have some of our products available online through Snapdeal, Flipkart and Amazon. Usually, people don’t buy food products online as there remains a doubt of authentic and fresh product, but we have several other products which are available online to them, authentic and fresh.

Do you provide discounts as per volume, early payment, and cash?

Yes, we do provide discounts to the customers. If the customer orders a particular volume or in bulk with cash payments, usually we provide 2% discount in that case, but it may vary depending upon the order.

Are all the funding from your end or you are looking for any external boost?

We don’t have any particular investors and funding agencies. We have lent money from banks in the form of loan.

What are your branding, marketing and expansion activities?

We launched 3-4 new products every year. We focus on bringing healthy food products to Indian market. We are also planning to launch olive pickle which has lots of health benefits and people can enjoy them with meals.  We have our own media company who do all the marketing and promotions for us. We advertise through banners and hoardings at public places, metro and airport, through social websites and other such activities.

Tell us something about your company? How long has your company been in the business?

We started in 2012 from Delhi-NCR as the importers of BASA fish moving forward to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh markets. Soon after that we started dealing with the Punjab market and opened our second office in Ludhiana, Punjab.  By early 2013 we covered almost 40 percent of the market in Punjab. From Ludhiana, we started catering Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and other nearby markets. We also opened our third office in Mumbai to deal with the southern and western part of the country. Last year we started operations in Calcutta, Bangalore and other corners of India. We are the second largest importers and suppliers of BASA and have 90-95 per cent of PAN India presence.

What packaging techniques do you use to preserve freshness and purity of fishes that you supply?

The packages we are using are the normal plastic package but the technique we are using is IQF (Individual Quick Freezing). As soon as the product is processed, it goes through the IQF individually and we maintain it at 18 to -20 degree centigrade which can be preserved up to two years. 

How do you get your payments? What are the return policies at your end? Do you have online shopping available?

No we are not available online. If you are maintaining at the desired temperature of the product at your end then it can be preserved up to two years so we hardly get any return from our clients. Moreover if there is any fault from our side we take them back but the chances remains none as our product go through several quality checks. We are dealing with our distributors on with a 21 days payment policy through cheque.

How do you decide pricing for the Indian market?

India is a very competitive market. We are amongst top players in this segment so the margin remains low and there is not much fluctuation in the prices and they are to be kept very competitive.

From where do you source the products?

We source BASA fish from Mekong Delta, Vietnam. And we have also tied up with some factories in the city that are producing for us.

What is the supply chain process at your end?

We supply our product through the distributors’ network that is present all over India. We have around seven distributors in Delhi who purchase products from us and store it at their end only by supplying our products to the leading hotels, restaurants and cater on our behalf.

Brief us about your products and name some of your clients?

We are the top importers suppliers of BASA fish fillet in India. Our products are BASA fish fillet, breaded BASA fish fillet, untrimmed BASA fish fillet, Squid rings, frozen prawns and chicken.  We also launched spring roll pastry last year and this year we launched Australian lamb. We are supplying to all the major hotels, five star chains, restaurant, cafes, caterers, MNCs and retail outlets. JW Marriott, Smokey’s, Smoke House Deli, Trident Hotel are our major clients.

What do you want to say about the import laws imposed by the government? Are they too stringent to follow?

They are actually quite stringent as we don’t get full information communicated to us. We are an active member of forums of Indian food importers (FIFI) which is assigned to communicate FIFI about any new law introduced by them but they are not keen to make anyone understand about the same and there is no one to communicate about the same. So it gets difficult for us to understand what the new laws are exactly about.

What are your branding, marketing and expansion activities?

We are presently working under our own brand but we are looking forward to launch international brands soon. The Indonesian confectionary brand will be with us for selling their product all over India. We are going to enter the ready to eat products which we will launch next year. We will be getting more into retail products, smaller packing and ready to eat products. Lastly, we have started our operations in Calcutta, Bangalore and other corners of India.

Café Coffee Day (CCD) has grown as a youth centric brand over the last 18 years. From offering a cup of Cappuccino to giving an overall experience, where customers can spend some time with their family and friends, the brand is looking forward to lure younger crowd at its outlets.

How the drinking habits of people have changed over the years?

When we started 18 years back, consumers used to visit our place, browse internet and have a cup of Cappuccino. Over the years, we realised that people are coming there to hang out, have conversation, meet people, and not just for Cappuccino. 18 years back, they did not have place to go and that was the need that CCD was fulfilling and that’s how over the years, we have moved just from an internet café to a complete experience café.

What are you doing at CCD to make it an experience café rather than bracketing yourself to a coffee café?

When we look at experience, food and beverage is part of the same. We knew that large group of youth come together, so we have large youth table. Depending on the type of conversation they would like to have, one can come and choose the sitting. So, food & beverage, types of furniture, sitting layout, and music and colour in the cafes all form part of experience. My team is trying to give customers an overall experience. You can walk in any of the CCD outlet with a pair of sleepers and nobody would look at you surprisingly. So, it’s a place where nobody judges you with types of cloth you wear. It lets you celebrate who you are.

How do you engage customers at your café?

We engage customers both inside and outside the café. We have mobile app and a lot of things on digital platform outside the cafes. We recently launched six different summer drinks and played a little game with the customers on the digital platform. It’s almost like the rulers game, where whatever number you stop at, you can go to the café and ask for the discount. We got them to engage with the brand, play a game and come to the café.

And once they come back to the café, we engage customers through the type of music we play. Whatever food and beverage we have launched in the café is very well researched, we test it with consumers and if they don’t like it, we don’t launch it. We also have a complete bunch of merchandising items like cups, cookies, coffee machines and we demonstrate them as well.

As this is your second stint with CCD, how has the market evolved over the years?

I have joined back the company after five years and I think, a lot has changed in the market and consumer sight. In the market sight, today there are a lot of choices for consumers, lot of vibrant brands in the market. It’s good because it is increasing width of the capital. Consumers today have so many choices that they are not being loyal to any one brand; they are continuously seeking more experiences, and new tastes.

Do you see any competition from brands like Starbucks?

We did a survey many years back, which gives us an indication that for a country like India, we can have close to 5000-6000 cafes. At present, we have around 1500 cafes and the next competitors are 40-50. So, there is a long room for growth. Starbucks are looking out to a slightly different segment, value proposition is different. So, I don’t think there is a direct conflict between our target audiences because we are operating at two different price segments.

Fast-forward a decade ago, Antonio & Janet got a place of their own, in a quiet spot off south of the Chapora River. Given its diminutive size, they converted it into a restaurant and guest house, embellished by scattered plants and trees, giving a feeling of discovery into a secret garden in a tropical rainforest, and along with their background in private cheffing, the place easily fits as a fine dine family atmosphere restaurant.

The restaurant is a quaint little place and is open throughout the day for service of breakfast, lunch and dinner. It serves traditional Goan food as well as continental cuisine. There is a breakfast bar, vegetarian menu, and provision for bar and music.  Serving fresh seafood and vegetables grown in their own garden, Blue Bird offers a family atmosphere and a relaxing, open air ambience.

You offer a mix of Goan, Continental, Seafood and desserts. How challenging is it to serve different cuisines under one umbrella?

It’s not at all challenging for us as we see customer satisfaction first. In fact, it’s good as a customer comes to us either to celebrate or they are hungry, somebody likes Goan, somebody likes Continental and others go for fusion, that’s why our focus is to serve a mix of all cuisines.

There are lots of restaurants in Vagator. Why should a prospective diner choose yours?

We have a wide range of dishes both for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. We are specialised in Goan food.  And everyone who comes to Goa loves to try Goan food and for that we are one of the best options as we don’t believe in doing business, we believe that the person should get the best taste of Goa and moreover, we work for customers’ satisfaction.

Tell us about Blue Bird’s journey. How and why did you open Blue Bird restaurant?

I started my restaurant with a small set up in 1982. And then it was renewed to a proper restaurant in 1986. Since I operate at a tourist spot, I have a guest house also. The idea came up to give tourists something different at Goa so I planned to cook food for them and serve people with my different ideas and techniques.

What is your secret to keeping customers coming in?

People are coming from far away and I don’t believe in making only business, my motive is to make them happy and serve them in a way that they must take something memorable from Goa. So, with my different cooking styles and techniques, I keep my customers coming in.

What is your signature dish?

The prawns which we prepare by the combination of crushed pepper and brandy is our signature dish. A person can have it as a starter or as the main course depending upon their preference.

Who do you see as your competitor in the market?

We don’t take it that way, we just believe in serving our customers the best way we can, and this is our overall concern. We try to represent Goa through our taste and service.

What are some of the challenges of being a restaurant owner?

There are a lot of challenges to being a restaurant owner like finding the correct raw products which are fresh, authentic and easily available. Also, the availability of right manpower is also a challenge for us.

Are you present in cities other than Vagator? What is your expansion plan?

We are one of the leading casual dining restaurants of Vagator. No, we are not planning to expand as I am happy with what I have and I believe in giving the best from where I am.

Which is the best season for business as Goa is among the top tourist destinations?

The best season for the business is in the month of December and January as that is the time when people mostly come to celebrate Christmas and New Year and the weather also remains cool and pleasant in Goa.

After gaining experience as an Investment Banker at Bank of America, U.K. Varun returned to India to join the business in 2008. Varun is spearheading group's foray into the travel sector under Travel Food Services (TFS) and has nurtured it to become largest player in F & B sector. Talking to Restaurant India, Varun shares his experience in the restaurant sector.

How do find the right combinations of high streets, malls and food court suitable for each of the brand that you run?

We operate under different brand areas and we treat each of the brand very differentiately. For Copper Chimney we see the locations where we have high footfalls coming, hence we find mall a very common venue for the brand to grow. As well as when we look internationally into it, we go high street as well. On the other side, Irish House as pub is best suitable for the high street or if we go to a mall we will take a very different location to that of a food court or a fine dine restaurant. Terraces and off locations are best preferred for it. So, location depends on the place which fits the brand best.

How do you use the real estate as an inflation hedge over the next two years?

The importance is to go into long term leases. A restaurateur should always spend time and also research well before signing a property. Today when rentals are going up long term lease will help bridging the gap caused by the inflation. So, we as a brand believe in taking long term leases and ultimately having that protection where we know what the cost will be next year

Travel food services has partnered with airports, television shows and wedding events including IPL. How was the experience all together?

We work a lot with airports. Airports are doing great as we have very good amount of footfall there but at the same time airports are very high standard place to operate, very high security, lots of hidden and high costs. You have to take care of the security; the hygiene standard etc and airports are really a good sell for us for taking the retail space to the next level.

At the same time, we constantly do IPL, especially in Mumbai where we get the type of scale where we sell approximately 70-80 thousand meals a day. We plan nine month in advance for one day because of the size of the business that we got out of the IPL matches.

What is the cost of setting an outlet at the airport and what is the footfall that you receive?

The investment that we do for the airports is much larger than the normal outlet. The backend that we do for airports is very expensive, because you cannot use gas for airports. So, we have done a lot of research for the electric equipment.

Irish House was something that was born out of you. So, what all new could we see at Irish House which makes it different from your traditional brands?

This is the first time we went into a Bar cum Pub concept. We used to be food experts before its launch. Irish House came out of my personal experience, after spending my time in New York and London where one could find a neighbourhood pub but I feel that was still missing in our country.

Manish Goyal, an IIT graduate who left his job in October 2013 to start his venture helping people to choose what to eat. Goyal who usually find it difficult to find what to eat while travelling, invented a concept of online platform providing photos of the menu to help people decide on what to eat. Talking to Restaurant India, Manish shares his journey at FoodiesCompass.

What made you start FoodiesCompass? How does it help customers decide what to eat?

Travelling has always been my hobby. On many of my trips I realised that finding out "what to eat" at local restaurants was difficult. While travelling to South East Asia, I observed that due to language barriers, most of the restaurant menus had food pictures. That is when I first thought of an online platform for the purpose of food photographs and user reviews. Few months later, I left my job in October 2013 and started working on this idea.

Once a user enters a restaurant, FoodiesCompass provides food pictures and user generated reviews of all items on the menu that provides a visual, mobile and credible solution to users to help them make an informed decision.

Do you think that eating with eye is more important than what you taste?

To improve decision making of the customers before placing any order, the pictures form an integral part of the decision. The customers will always form an opinion of a restaurant based on what they choose to eat, not the rest of the menu. FoodiesCompass simply helps them choose wisely. It is like a sneak peek into what can be expected if you order an item.

How many restaurants are presently listed with you? How do you categorise the listing process?

There are around 200 Delhi-NCR based (mostly Gurgaon) restaurants listed on our portal. Our only aim is to help customers find ‘Online Food Picture Menu’ of each and every restaurant.

What is the operation process at FoodiesCompass?

FoodiesCompass follows three processes:

Step 1: Cold Calling/Initial Pitch: Sales Team reaches out to the restaurant mangers/owners and explains them about the concept.

Step 2: Conduct food Photo-shoot of Menu: Most restaurants prefer to prepare dishes especially for professionally conducted photo shoots. Others take their own pictures and directly provide it to us.

Step 3: Restaurant Listing and Login Access: Restaurants are listed on FoodiesCompass and they are provided login details to access their photographs and also ability to edit/add new photographs.

For every restaurant to be highlighted on our portal, it takes an average of 10 working days with a team of photographer, sales manager and marketing manager involved in every deal with restaurant.

FoodiesCompass is self funded presently. Are you planning to take funding in recent times?

Yes, we are planning to raise funds in the near future to expand to seven major cities in India in the next one year. 

What kind of challenges you faced in starting FoodiesCompass? How has been the journey in one year?

One of the critical challenges we faced in the early days was to convince restaurants to perform photo shoot of food items to be covered on our portal. With no prior knowledge or experience in this sector, it was quite a difficult task. 

Another challenge was to get right people at the right time. For every startup, creating a good team in early days is very critical. We needed a team of photographers, sales and marketing people for each restaurant. Covering over 150 restaurants required resources to get it done and the entire team juggled roles to get the job done.

You are present in Gurgaon. What are your plans in expanding to other cities in India?

We are working to expand to Delhi in next couple of months. Expansion to seven major cities will be completed over the next one year.

Talking to Restaurant India, Sampat reveals how the online booking is leveraging the restaurant business in India briefing about the payment gateway offered by the online companies.

How is the online food ordering changing the Indian food business scenario?

Online food ordering and table reservations are a growing trend across urban India. In my view this trend will continue to grow for the next two to three years. Because the convenience offered by online and mobile platforms is a great value to consumers over the traditional method of calling. 

These days we see banks are also offering discounts in association with restaurants. How it is leveraging the online booking for restaurants?

Banks and loyalty programmes are offering discounts for online table reservation by leveraging platforms like Dineout, Foodpanda and many more. For consumers, this is a great benefit as they can plan ahead and also get an offer along with experiencing a special meal. Banks have great mindshare with their consumers and are pushing them to discover more is good for the restaurant industry in general.

What is your take on m-commerce for restaurant industry?

Mobile platforms such as apps and mobile sites are the fastest growing platforms of usage in the food and nightlife discovery and search space. With the massive growth of smartphones, we believe this trend will continue to accelerate for several years. On our own platforms, nearly 50 percent of all traffic and usage comes from mobile. 

How friendly are the mobile apps introduced by you to the customers and the owners of the restaurant?

TimesCity has introduced its new mobile app in December 2013 and it has been recently featured by Apple as the number one free-app in the lifestyle category on the app-store. The TimesCity app has received glowing reviews from consumers and our usage on mobile has been growing beyond our expectations. The app enables consumers to find great restaurants and in the process makes it easier for merchants to attract valuable customers as well. TimesCity offers a number of promotional features for merchants to promote themselves on the TimesCity platform across the web, mobile, food guide, and print. 

How are sites like TimesCity helping the restaurant business to grow?

A large chunk of foodies now visit TimesCity to discover new and great restaurants in their cities. Consumers are increasingly looking at reviews, menus, directions, and other vital information about restaurants before making a choice for where to dine out. 

Our platform empowers restaurant owners to present themselves well in front of users and work to attract them to come to their establishments. We offer a number of promotional features for merchants to promote themselves across the web, mobile, food guide, and print.

Explain the payment gateway mechanism while booking online?

The online booking process on TimesCity is free to consumers and we do not charge any fees for this service. From time to time we have specials offers, such as Gourmet Week, and in those cases we work with leading payment gateways to provide a smooth and secure experience to consumers.

In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Sharad Sachdeva talks about the current food trend, the expansion plans of Lite Bite Foods and the legalities involved in taking a restaurant overseas.

Tell us about the food business trend in India and what can we expect in near future?

Indians are experimenting a lot on foods now and the next big things is the innovative concept, introduction of molecular gastronomy and then different types of concepts on burgers, good quality foods and also the expansion of QSRs and Coffee formats in the country. In these areas expansion is going to happen.

Lite Bite Foods have marked their expansion overseas. What is the rationale behind it?

We are expanding in different geographies in India. We saw that food outside India is also very bold and developed. So, we thought why not to go in a developed market. We have a nice brand and we compete with the foreign brands and thought to make some money. We are now expanding in Bangkok, We are going into Dubai and Abu Dhabi and at the same time we are also planning to start our business at US market very aggressively. We are already operating an outlet in Singapore. So, we have seen that the market and the business are good and thus we are expanding outside India.

What are the legalities a restaurant needs to go through when taking his business overseas?

The right kind of expansion vehicle and if you are expanding through a joint venture you should have a right partner and a good business plan. How are you going to see yourself on the horizon of 3-5 years? So, all these areas have to be thought of. The funding option outside India, the legal framework in which you are working there should be very strong, your patent register should be there and all the food related assignments need to be done like licensing of food, licensing of liquor (if you are selling liquor). All these things are very critical to start the operation because food is much regulated outside India.

What are the technologies that the restaurant industry is using to make their business more profitable?

Any business is around process. If you have a right kind of process then the business is bound to expand. We are implementing Airline Control Programme (ACP) in our company to streamline the entire sourcing, selling and indenting. Technology is very important that’s why we have invested heavily into technology. We are the pioneer to ACP, it is the first time that a food and beverage company is going to become an ACP based company.

Please justify the statement, Fast food industry: Healthy or just hanging on?

Fast food has done mirage. Because it is economical, quick, and lot of youth identify with fast food easily. So, I think fast food is going to stay for a long time. Youth today are turning out to be health conscious, KFC is launching grilled chicken rather than fried chicken. Subway has emphasised all its marketing on healthy foods, they are selling subs, they are selling salads all are very healthy and are fast foods. And it is going to stay for a long time.

Tell us about your responsibility as COO of the company?

As the pilot of the plane is not responsible for flying the plane but also make sure that the staffs are happy, the customer is happy, you are expanding in the right direction, you should make sure that you are making money, you should make sure that all the stake holders should be happy. And I think that’s what I am trying to do. So, not only running day to day operation I am also putting my mind towards strategising. Recently we have got a very good contract from Bombay Airport. We are opening 32 outlets there. So, it is a mix pack to see what is happening today and what will happen six months down the lane and what might happen three years later. So, that’s the role that I’m planning to play.

Please tell us something about your journey as a GM- Business Development, GMR Airport Holdings Ltd to COO Lite Bite Foods.

I joined GMR and worked on terminal 1D, the entire retail planning, the space planning and the core of it was commercial development. And then when terminal 3 was to launch, I did commercial planning for terminal 3 and I ran the operations of terminal 3 for one year and then I felt there wasn’t any action happening and personally I like action  to create something but GMR was done and delivered by that time. So, I thought to move on and joined Lite Bite Foods and to take it to the next level, processes, man power planning, future strategies, function, growth and profitable delivery. And I thought it is something which is going to be challenging and I never planned for a COO it just happened and now I am trying to look that role every day, every week and every month.

In a candid chat with Franchise India, Chef Abhijit Saha talks about his journey from a chef to a restaurateur, the F&B trend in the industry and the challenges faced.

From a management trainee to a chef to an entrepreneur handling the business realms of the company...

I started my journey 23 years ago. I’m a hotel management graduate from Hotel Management graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management in Pusa. I joined Taj Group of Hotels as management trainee and worked with them for 8 years. Then I joined Manor Hotel and worked with them for 3 years. Then I worked with Park Hotel as Executive Chef and Director of Food Services for 8 years. Then I went the entrepreneur way.

After 8 years of my work at Taj, I had the opportunity to work at the project stage when the Manor hotel in Delhi was being set up. That gave me great exposure in various areas of the project rather than just being in the kitchen. It also gave me good exposure and when I was with Park Hotels where I got training on how to be an entrepreneur and manage projects rather than being a chef. That helped me when I decided to become an entrepreneur.

The F&B trends nowadays

India is a vast country. India can’t be bogged by any single trend or a particular trend. There are trends in the QSR formats, there are trends in the Fine dining formats and there are trends in the five star dining formats. There are so many trends – the food-related trends, beverage-related trends – and I think many cities and different places are going in different directions. While in Bangalore, the trend is to set up microbrewery a lot and have the cafes and pubs which are coming up. Then there are the regional Indian cuisine restaurants that are opening up. So, that is the important area of growth that we are seeing in and also people are enjoying at being at most smart casual dining places and I think this is definitely going to increase over period of years. And I think people love food and the food and beverage industry is booming.

On why foreign restaurant chains opening in India become successful than their Indian counterpart

It is the knowledge and research that we have been indulging from many years. Indians sometimes have the tendency of looking at it only from the culinary point of few and not be based on thorough market-based research. That is what is very important being an entrepreneur; you may have certain ideas and thoughts that should be validated in market research. It is not that too many people are not doing it, but they may not be doing it in the right manner. There could be some things lacking in that. It is about management style and also about empowering of your people – how you train. Investment also has to looked into not only in the form of restaurant but how you invest in research and innovation. So these are all important roles which we need to focus on and we might be lacking in doing that.

Advise for budding restaurateurs

Every day the life of a restaurateur or a chef is a new day, you can face new challenges in a new manner. The ability to tackle challenges makes one successful. So challenges can be in terms of customer management and retention, the management in terms of quality, the management in terms of how speedy, reliable or how consistent is your restaurant. There could be problems in terms of recruitment.

Tell us something about NRAI’s pan India presence.

National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), a leading association for standalone and chain restaurants, was founded in 1982. We are the leading association of Indian restaurant industry and we represent both Indian and chain restaurants.

We have a PAN India presence with over 1200 members in 20 states comprising of restaurants, suppliers and educational institutions. A body governed by 25 restaurants, CEOs and owners actively work with me in running the NRAI.

What is the mission of NRAI?

We represent the interest of our members through advocacy with the Government, training for our members and also research a lot of industry events. Our mission is to advocate changes in the laws governing the Indian Restaurant industry to help grow the industry and create significant employment opportunities.

I have worked closely with states and cities to bring the issues faced by the industry that are local in nature. NRAI aspires to bring Indian restaurant industry to a great profitable growth.

How would you categorise the market?

The market consists of the chain market – anything which is classified into three restaurants or more. The standalone covers the very large part of market. Then of course comes the unorganised part – ‘dhabas’, and the roadside eateries – which are very popular.

Of the total industry, 70% is still unorganised. This has improved significantly because in 2010, 84% was unorganised. Some of the big names in unorganised food chains which are transforming into organised ones are Giani icecreams, and Khan Chacha. It is a positive sign that the food service industry is at Rs. 247, 680 crore, which is projected to grow to Rs. 408, 040 crore by 2018.

In an exclusive chat with Franchise India, Mr. Sachin Dhoka, Owner, Firangi Tadka, talks on how he started his restaurant business and how he is counted among the popular restaurants in Pune.

1. How did you formulate a business plan for your restaurant?

I did a detailed study of the market before making the business plan – how much revenue is required, from where would I get the supplier, how much manpower would be required in my restaurant, what should be the location from where I could get the customer and many other requirements that goes into the planning of my restaurant.

1. What marketing strategy did you employ to make it popular among people?

Print media and word-of-mouth were the two tools I used mostly to advertise my restaurant. We have done lots of advertisements through print media. Talking to people, making them aware about our restaurant, distributing leaflets and pamphlets among the localities helped in gaining the customer’s attention.

Apart from this, we provided quality food and warm service every time a customer comes to our restaurant. We also offer coupons and discounts for the customer, organise parties, especially the birthday parties.

1. How has been the response of people towards Firangi Tadka?

When I started my restaurant, I did not look out for any investor; in fact I invested my savings in the restaurant. We are currently running into the third year of our restaurant, having completed two successful years. Three-and-a-half year time is enough to get back the investment and it is coming in. I think the response of the people can be judged from this fact.

What menu tweaks made you stand out in this food-driven society?

We are a multi-cuisine restaurant focusing on serving north Indian, Chinese and Continental foods on the palate. We have worked a lot to bring the taste of the world at our restaurant. To stand out among the competitors, we have made a wide variety of north Indian menu – ‘paneer tikka labadar’, ‘diwani handi’ and ‘bhindi achari’ focusing on ‘hindustani handi’. ‘Shanto mein’ and ‘hakka mein’ are some of our noodle varieties. Our continental menu has ‘Bangkok Red curry’, ‘manchurian vegetable’ and many more.

1. Team effort contributes to a restaurant’s growth. Please elaborate.

It is the team effort that contributes to the growth of a restaurant. We have a marvellous team working together. From the kitchen personnel to the managers to the owners, all work together to run the restaurant smoothly.

1. How much hand does quality have in a restaurant’s success?

Quality is the first and foremost requirement of a restaurant; it is the pillar of success for a restaurant. When I opened my restaurant, the first thing which I focused on was the quality of food and the quality of service extended to each customer. I sincerely believe that if you want a regular crowd at your restaurant, you need to emphasise on the quality aspect. If you don’t have quality food, you won’t be able to gain repeat customers.

1. How can a restaurateur find and employ a good chef?

Chef is ‘the’ person behind the innovative menu design in a restaurant; he is the backbone of a restaurant. A good chef is one who has enough knowledge, experience and milestone in the industry. Word of mouth definitely helps a lot in getting a good chef for a restaurant.

Has technology been a boon or bane for your restaurant?

Technology has been a boon, obviously. We have always got positive comments on the social media sites. Facebook, Twitter or any other networking site, works as a platform in advertising about the restaurant. The media, especially the print media, has helped us a lot in attaining success.

Do you encourage corporates to hold business meetings at your restaurant?

Ours is a small multi-cuisine restaurant. We only emphasise on dining; we don’t invite people for business meetings at our restaurant.

How are you planning to expand in the near future?

We don’t have a branch right now. However, we are planning to expand it in and across Pune. We are also trying to open a branch at Hyderabad.

Customer loyalty has really gained a lot of significance for restaurants today. According to National Restaurant Association, currently 30 per cent of all restaurants offer some form of loyalty program. Research shows that 57 per cent of adult consumers are more likely to visit restaurants that offer loyalty program to its guest.

When restaurateurs connect on an emotional level with customers, business tends to grow. To set your restaurant for growth prospect, keep words and feelings with customer benefit points.

“We have seen a huge growth in business after our successful loyalty program, it's just how you use it and on our anniversary we generally give free beer to clients who are registered with us in prime events. It’s just members who are allowed and I think giving customers few points on bill is highly recommended”, shared Jasneet Sahni, Owner of Lanterns Kitchen & Bar.

Customer programmes

Restaurants now, encourage implementing this new-reward point system that will offer incentives to customers. It is a way to promote your restaurant and have the same customers keep coming back to you. This will show a larger number of customers with loyalty promotion programs, but this is the best way to encourage repeat customers.

It is always the loyal customers who come back to you. Building loyalty is not a new concept for restaurants, but the strategy used in to build loyal customers over the years. On this note, Kalpit Gandhi, CFO of Vadilal Group states, “We have a loyalty program on. The objective of the program is to drive frequency of walk-ins and to promote new and promising categories”. At present, one of the most common loyalty programs is simple point system. In this, customers earn points frequently and are translated into reward points. It can be discounts, perks or special customer dealing and customers can redeem these points, whenever they visit next to restaurants.

Marketing Tactic

As customer’s outlook has changed in digital world and today’s customers want to feel exceptional for the money and time they spend on food and restaurant. Therefore, many restaurants offer customer’s name on membership card and send through email. This is a low-cost advertisement and marketing strategy.

Social media is used by many restaurateurs to share regular updates of their restaurant, from special offers, new menu, pictures for dinners. Those restaurants, which provide onsite dining integrates numerous new technology. It grants value addition, mobile payments and cash back rewards to people. These programs help restaurants to plan marketing plan.

“We have a loyalty programme, which has been designed by our marketing team to retain our customer base and have been using capillary solutions for it. Customer will also have some free points from every last purchase, which will make him drive to café”, pointed Anirudh Poddar, Owner, Chai Break.

Hence, loyalty programmes have shown great results how to attract customers so that they revisit restaurants more often.

Valentine week is again around the corner and what’s better to set the mood than gobbling amazing food. Usually, people arrange romantic dinner, candles, wine, dresses and many other such things for their love ones. Restaurateurs decorate tables with flowers and lightening the candles to make customers feel warm and a musical atmosphere in the background.

“We are expecting a good number of people considering the fact that we are celebrating in upcoming Palate Mini. In this, couples can rejoice special bond of love in a romantic European style with an interesting and romantic European theme, decor and set up. Also, they can relish the best store for them by our talented chefs of La Vie”, commented Anirudh Gupta, Owner of La Vie.

Designing Special Menu

In all these romantic settings, what about the food? Many restaurants have created special menus for those looking to share this particular day with someone special. Food for Valentine’s Day must look swanky, behold, a feast of gastronomic fares to tickle non-desi and desi taste buds, according to Junglee Billee restaurant.

“Our expert chefs have prepared a special food and beverage keeping the occasion in mind.  All three chefs belonging to different kitchens (Indian, Chinese and Continental) will be presenting their specialties to diners for this occasion. Apart from that, we will be offering complimentary drinks to ladies”, shared Sameer Bhalla, Owner of Bellagio, Ashok Vihar.

Similarly, Raji Sandhar, Owner, En– The Japanese Restaurant states, “We are offering a special five course menu for couples. The menu is designed by Chef Muramatsu, who will certainly leave the couples asking for more. One can also savour Chef’s Valentine Special Japanese Brown Tea in dessert to conclude dining experience on a sweet note”.

Promotional Activities 

Restaurants are promoting Valentine’s Day with new and interesting offers to attract guests. Everyone is aggressively promoting on digital and social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; so that the target audiences are covered. .  Lanterns Kitchen & Bar, which is an Irish concept pub and restaurant serves Indian, Oriental, Mexican, European and fusion food to guests. But, the place is known for music lovers owing to live performances given by well-known artists. Therefore, this Valentine, “We are planning to celebrate this occasion with a Pre Valentine Bash. The Delhi-based pop, electro and pop-rock band Panic will be performing here at Lanterns Kitchen & Bar on 13th February. A special EDM and romantic acoustic set by them will surely set the mood of all the couples for Valentine’s Day”, pointed Jasneet Sahni, Owner of Lanterns Kitchen & Bar.

Even though, this Valentine is on Sunday many restaurants trying to handle things efficiently. It is like a challenge for owners and staff to work under such situations. “We have made special preparations for night considering the fact that Valentine is on Sunday”, added Bhalla.

Valentine‘s Day is the perfect chance for people to prove their love. And, restaurants and food are now making it easier. 

For today’s restaurateurs, finding the perfect location is the biggest challenge either to expand or to relocate. To retain new and old customers, restaurateurs need to identify some basic criteria, which create an everlasting impression.

The process of choosing a new onsite location includes detailed research, objectives and price to make sure that it is good for the business growth. Location is the foremost decision made by restaurant owners in terms of real estate. Restaurateurs first go through proper research and identify the potential site before starting or opening a restaurant. Then, they should organize the same plan and use the resources efficiently. Finally, they maintain the efficiency of the restaurant by continuous inspection, testing and verification.

“Convenience, parking, competition, proximity to shops for supplies are few things that we keep in mind before selecting a restaurant location”, shared Nathan Harris, Owner, The Hole in the Wall Cafe. 

Design Strategy

In addition to venue, menu also plays a vital role, as it depends on the place and diners who visit the restaurant. Before the quality of food and ambience, it is the accessibility and location of any restaurant that attracts the guests. Concept, food quality, service and economic shifts are some of the other factors that adds to the overall success of the restaurant.

“The design will always have elements that guest may have not seen. It is very important to offer new flavours if you start a restaurant, but it should be according to the taste of the guest”, pointed Gursimran Singh, Managing Director, Downtown Group of Companies.

On the other hand, Harris stated, “It drives the customer growth in the long run. Something that stays fashionable and innovative over a long period of time and is obviously the goal without appearing too niche to your target audience. It's got to tie in nicely with your target audience, keeping in mind that your strategy is long term and can be easily tweaked down the line”.

Other factors

Location can provide adequate sales and profit, but other things are also equally essential. Technology is one aspect, which is required at every stage.  To make the site perfect in every portion- scientific, demographic and psychographic information are required. Safety is also important while selecting a site. Another key point is to develop an efficient and friendly team.

Nevertheless, money is always needed to start or expand a business.  At the same time, restaurateurs look out for areas that have tax incentives. Selecting a site around malls is always preferred. “We normally look at- if there are malls or multiplex nearby, have no existing restaurants and the kind of residential place around it”, added Singh.