How Restaurant Business Grows on Customisation

Restaurateurs today are trying to expand their reach. Local restaurants are going international and international brands are focusing on local areas. Restaurant business is a consumer business and wherever you go consumption does not stop. Hence, restaurants these days have great opportunities.

Formula to Manage Growth

Any restaurant either small or big has the same goal and responsibility, making a successful business. And, to make your business you need resources which come from people, process and system. And even above them one needs righteous process because it converts these two into product and product is what one sells. Managing multiple brands together is just a matter of priority and capability to manage everything.

“Fifteen years ago, we started with fine dining and then introduced 12 restaurants with bakeries and today we are 170 restaurants. Our business is divided into three clear arms-bakery and cafe’, organized Chinese and the fine dine,” says Reynold Fernandes, CEO at Oriental Cuisines Pvt. Ltd. It’s good to have a restaurant in Delhi and Mumbai but at the same time having a restaurant in Coimbatore and Orissa is also pretty nice because at the end of the day you’re feeding people. You’re into the business of consumption and consumptions are happening every day.

Making Global Brand Local

Many brands like McDonald’s, KFC, Subway entered into Indian food market and suited Indian palate very well. So bringing global brands to India and moulding them according to Indian palate is the key. “It is not only important to localise the product according to Indian taste but it is also important to localise the product according to the regional taste,” adds Karan Tanna, CEO at Yellow Tie Hospitality. India is a diverse country unlike America where beef burger is common from east to west but here you’ll find different spices, cuisines, requirements and approaches towards food in different parts of the country. It is always safe to maintain a balance in serving a standardised product because at last it is your brand. “We have tried to bring regional taste in our product, we introduced palak paneer burger, schezwan noodle burger etc to meet customer’s aspiration,” he adds further.

When Brand Travels to another City

Getting a skilled labour and to retain them afterwards is the foremost challenge while moving to another city. “India being price sensitive has always been a fear to businessmen plus presenting a combination of quality with tight budget is no less than an uphill battle. It is very important to cater to the local palate,” says Kaizad Modi, Sr. Partner & Owner, REISE Hospitality LLP.

A neat business plan is a must. “Build business passionately and decide unemotionally because we are so attached to the things sometimes and that is the point where we fall. Go out with the right market plan either you’re setting up a restaurant or expanding,” adds Fernandes. One needs to be extra creative when it comes to Indian food industry.