Starting his journey as a self taught home baker, Shah experienced a lot of difficulties in the initial stage as he lacked proper equipment and knowledge in his kitty. Therefore, to enhance his knowledge, he decided to pursue his higher education in learning about this particular industry. After returning to India post the completion of his course, Shah decided that it is the perfect time for him to step into this industry and serve lip smacking desserts. Excerpts from the interview:
How did the idea of establishing your own venture pop up in your mind?
Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I was pretty sure that I wanted to start my own venture where I could do my own experiments with combinations. After completing my education, I came back to India and apprenticed for six months with a brand which allowed me to get familiar with the ingredients available in the country. I quit my job in order to start my own kitchen where I could develop recipes which would satisfy the Indian palate. Establishing my own venture led to creating my own recipes and lot of unique flavors.
When did you realize that patisserie is the industry where you want to create something of your own?
While studying in London, I realized that my true calling was in the field of patisserie. The flavors and textures of products were just mind boggling. The precision required in making pastry intrigued me and the vast array of flavors that can be used to create a dessert was an additional benefit to the whole experience.
What is the story behind naming it as The Dessert Street?
The name stemmed from the sense of wonderment that filled me each time I walked down the famed Khau-gallis of the city and tasted the authentic preparations by home chefs from across the country. This encouraged me to bring my own versatile take on dishes.
What’s your take on the rising interest of the people towards desserts and patisseries in the food industry?
People's interest towards high quality desserts and patisseries is increasing every year because they are figuring out the difference in the qualities available in the market. The restaurant industry in India is growing nearly 7-8% per year and people don’t mind shelling out that extra money for something which is really exquisite and delicious.
What are the experiences you are providing to this outlet as a former pastry chef from Le Cordon Bleu?
As a pastry chef from Le Cordon Bleu we are trying to provide a lot of intricate desserts at our patisserie. We do Entremets which are multi layered and multi textured cakes which provide a wide range of flavors and textures. We also do Artisan Bonbons which are soft or liquid centered chocolate moulded in various shapes , colors and designs.
The menu showcases a lot of varieties to offer from. Tell us something about it.
We offer a lot of variation to our clients. We make Entremets, Bonbons, Truffles, tarts, Nut Spreads which are all made in our kitchen without any preservatives. We have chosen products which are quite unique in the market and want the audience to be aware of these products.
You have been working towards cultivating an eclectic mix of desserts. What’s your take on this?
We don't want to restrict our brand to a particular type of product. We want it to be like a one stop Gourmet Patisserie where you can get whatever you desire. We will soon be launching artisan breads in addition to all our desserts.
What are the various kinds of challenges you faced while being in this industry?
We face a lot of challenges in the current market. Firstly, competing with already established brands and to make people shift from one brand to another is a tough challenge. Secondly, there are a lot of hidden overheads which are faced and that causes the products also to be expensive which affects the overall sales.
What are your expansion plans?
We will soon be looking to grow in the retail segments and try providing people a proper space where they can purchase our products. Currently, we only do made-to -order desserts. We are looking at pan India growth in the coming years.
Over the past few years, India has witnessed a tremendous growth in the non-alcoholic beverage market. As entrepreneurs Shuchir Suri and Punweet Singh wanted to capitalize on the lack of options in homegrown drinks, kicking off with a tonic water and ginger ale. “There has been a paradigm shift in the millennial drinker’s awareness for consuming lesser calories. Hence we launched Jade Forest, a low calorie beverage brand that does not compromise on taste,” shared Suri who has spent years in marketing, strategy and product development. Excerpts from the interview:
How do you see the market for tonic water in India? Who is your client?
In 2019, over 20 lac cases of gin were sold with the market growing at a 9% CAGR annually. In tandem, the market of tonic water is also riding this boom currently, benefitting from an increase in disposable incomes, rapid urbanization, and access to western consumption trends. Our major consumption comes from the age bracket between 18-45years, our target audience being the millennial consumer not only from metros but from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well.
How much have you invested in the brand?
A lot of sweat and sleepless nights.
Are you also doing HORECA?
Yes, our go-to-market strategy was to focus on the HORECA segment. This was due to the fact that one of our founders; Shuchir Suri of Food Talk India has a plethora of connections in the F&B industry. We are currently pouring in over 100+ outlets in Delhi NCR, Jaipur & Chandigarh.
As both of you have diverse background; one a specialist in F&B marketing and other in manufacturing. How is it helping you grow Jade?
One of our founders Punweet Singh has a strong background in manufacturing that enables him to use his skill sets in streamlining our production and supply chain mandates. Our other founder Shuchir executes our marketing and sales strategies using his skills to onboard outlets in both the HORECA as well the Retail segment.
Why there is sudden demand of low calorie and low sugar carbonated drink?
Over the past two years, the trend of being health conscious has motivated people to be picky with the drinks they consume. Sugary drinks with artificial colors have been on a decline with consumers looking to replace regular colas with fresh and healthy alternatives.
What is the shelf life of your products?
The shelf life of our beverages is 12 months.
What is the price range?
Jade Forest Indian Tonic Water is priced at INR 80 and Original Ginger Ale at INR 85.
What will be the top beverages trend for 2020?
We feel that demand for homegrown beverages in the market will be on a rise. Healthier options that refrain from using harmful/artificial ingredients are expected to be trendsetters.
Must Read: 7 Bar Trends to Watch in 2020
How are you marketing your products?
We have a robust social media strategy that is aimed towards the tech savvy generation where we highlight our product differentiation and consumption landscape. We enter into strategic partnerships with established brands and events to showcase our products. Recently we were partners at events like the Gin Explorer’s Club and Zomaland, which witnessed a footfall of over 30,000 people each. Another form of marketing is in-store and in-restaurant marketing with menu listing and visual collaterals.
We see there is sudden growth of cocktails in every restaurant’s menu. Why so?
People’s palates have evolved due to their travels abroad. They want their local drinks to be able to emulate international levels when it comes to cocktail recipes and techniques. Adding that eye-catching garnish on a cocktail also warrants a social media post, worthwhile to both the consumer and restaurant.
Why Cocktail is Turning Big in Bar Menu
According to our forecast model, we would like to capture a majority of the market of our home base, Delhi NCR in the preliminary stage. We are currently listed on Amazon that enables customers to order our beverages from all corners of the country. We intend to build the same model in other metros like Mumbai and Bangalore by on boarding the top HORECA and Retail outlets and by building a strong sales team on-ground. Our portfolio of drinks will see an expansion with new and exciting products in the pipeline.
Born and brought up in Kolkata, Santanu always had the dream of owning his own restaurant. Running a venture for 14 years, he finally decided to do something apart from owning a resto-bar. He is soon to start a pub which will attract and welcome the youths of Kolkata. Excerpts from the interview:
How did the idea of doing something of your own strike to you in the F&B industry?
I was into some other business earlier before I shifted towards this profession. I was always passionate about starting my own venture in the food industry. One day the idea clicked which helped me in establishing my own restaurant.
Tell us something about your journey.
I have been born and brought up in Kolkata. After completing my education, I was involved in construction business which went for years. Later I realized my dream and passion for the food industry which drove me to enter the food industry.
How did you come up with the name ‘Hing Bar and Restaurant’?
At its inception, the restaurant catered pure Bengali cuisine and tandoor. The name randomly came to my mind where Hing we know in India is a spice which is extracted from the dried sap of the stem. We, Bengali people, use Hing in almost every dish they prepare. Thus, the name Hing Bar and Restaurant.
How the transition came from running a restaurant to a resto-bar?
After running the business for four years, customers started requesting for continentals and other cuisines which are currently trending. Later, I realized that the people were heading to resto-bars instead of normal restaurants serving the same cuisines. Adapting to the trend, I decided to shift my gear and modify my restaurant into a resto-bar. In fact, I also lost many customers when the resto-bar concept came into action.
What were the key elements while coming up with the interiors of your restaurant?
I wanted my restaurant to provide a cozy kind of environment. I made sure that the whole ambiance is well crafted to give a calm and composite vibe to the customers. My venue does not favor playing loud music as I want to provide a dining experience to our customers spending a quality family time.
How do you see the bar trends changing with time?
The youth is inclining towards the pub and lounge sections which are evolving rapidly in the F&B industry. The demand for such models has gained huge momentum, eventually causing many such ventures to establish in this modern time. Currently, I am working towards opening my second venture which is going to be a pub in Kolkata itself. We are still working ' on its name which will be finalized within a week or so.
How has been the journey for Hing Bar and Restaurant so far?
Hing Bar and Restaurant started in the year 2004. It has been approximately 14 long years and the journey is still going on. People’s love towards my venture continues to grow by the day which keeps me motivated in serving them. This brand has adapted to the ongoing trends in the industry and is walking towards the road of success. I personally keep an eye on everything making sure that things are just perfect.
What are your expansion plans?
I am already working on a new project, a pub in Kolkata itself. I am taking baby steps and do aims towards moving pan India.
Chetan Kaul is an enthusiastic Co-Founder at Dudleys who shares his experience with delivery restaurant in an exclusive interview with Restaurant India.
The Backstory
I have been with food industry and food tech industry for a while and realised that food delivery business started booming about two and a half years ago. The reason we started with Dudleys is no one has done anything good with burgers. There were very high standards with other cuisines from pizza to north Indian and on the other hand the standards with burger were very low. The concept of burger in India is of a fast food, fried and fattening but there is no concept of gourmet burgers in India which is everywhere in all over the world. The other thing is burgers are very easy to market. So we wanted to introduce much higher standards of burger to India. That is why we use authentic and imported ingredients for our burgers and not feed people with fried patties. Everyone can do burgers but the thing which makes us different is doing it with much higher level.
The Journey
Being a foodie and having an all around experience with food sector made me worked with some food tech companies where I had a lot of access to data. That is how I came to know the statistics with delivery. The delivery market is growing very fast because people are convenience friendly, they enjoy getting food at their door step. Also it was quite easy to start up with a delivery restaurant. The only problem is because there is so much of tech element, people do not know about it precisely. There is a huge opportunity in this market, many are doing delivery restaurant but no one is doing it right completely which made us enter the game.
The Efforts
We have started working on it from last year, September and we ended up with it on 1st February of this year. Our main thing was to find the best Chef to make our burgers stand out of the crowd. So we had more than 35 food trials before starting up with 35 different Chefs. It took us four months to stumble upon what we wanted, a fine dine Chef in delivery restaurant. We have put half of crore till date into the project.
The Pricing
I actually see our burgers worth paying for but I know that customers find it high. India being price sensitive country going to take time before people having knowledge about the process followed to serve them. Pricing depends upon consistency. If the customer likes the product, he will find it worthy and if he doesn’t like it then of course it will b expensive for him. That is quite a big issue in delivery restaurant in India because there is no ambience or music to justify the price.
The Competition
There is no doubt that Indian food market is not only growing but exploding. But there is much scope to grow and in between we don’t see competition at all because brands like McDonald’s and KFC are in different bracket. Their delivery models and pricing are also in different segment so there is no competition. For the most part in delivery business, there is not a huge competition.
The Expansion
We are intending to expand in Greater Kailash and Malviya Nagar. The first basic expansion plan is to cover all of Delhi in terms of delivery. The second part is to increase the delivery hours and the main part is to open a culture of dining in burgers where we can combine alcohol and burgers together.
How did you come up with this concept?
We are Tech Company focusing on the restaurant industry and our core focus is to empower restaurants, handling them the control of their customers. Most of the restaurants are losing customer loyalty now days maybe because of third party aggregators and similar tech platforms. We did an extensive research in this field and realised that there is a huge gap that needs to be filled. For sustainable business, restaurants really require customers’ loyalty and that is what we are trying to build. We have kept our products simple so it does not complicate users. The simpler the product is, the easier it is to the client and consumer.
How is your product different from others?
EatRepeat is a white-label restaurant app developing venture that is exclusively dedicated to boosting restaurant’s businesses while doubling the profits and maximizing customer loyalty. It strategically tackles the most crucial problems of restaurants today: merging with food aggregators, delivery companies, wallet companies etc by offering a single multifaceted platform. It is a micro CRM platform that provides restaurant owners with personalized branded (Android and iOS) apps. These customized apps encompass the restaurant's’ trademark while allowing owners to send out notifications, promotions and offers as and when they feel like.
How do you sell your product using technology?
We provide restaurant owners with their own merchant app that allows them to receive orders from customers directly, track the number of times a customer has placed orders, and send out push notifications, loyalty programs, promo codes and more. The discretion is entirely in the hands of the restaurant owner. It also comes with a dedicated phone number that tracks and monitors calls from customers, for an enhanced experience. Also, technology is the new trend. People want convenience at the moment and that is what taking the game over because they don’t have enough time to spend on going outside and have a meal. It is basically a shift that people want everything on their fingers.
What are your expansion plans?
Established in 2017, EatRepeat in the present scenario operates in the cities of Pune and Dubai with an extensive clientele. As of now, we are evolving our product only; we are working on a model if a customer books a table through the app, he/she would be able to have a 3D look of the restaurant.
How do you see the competition?
Competition is always there but we don’t see them as direct competitors. We are totally different as it is a unique concept where restaurant owners can edge over their competitors by presenting a full-fledged customer-centric application that majorly cuts down on third party commissions. With a full-stack technology platform that builds Android and iOS mobile apps with efficacy, it helps restaurants manage and leverage technology to boost their businesses using their very own, personalized Android or iOS apps. This process is totally different from other app providers in the market because we simply do not charge commission on restaurant’s profit; we have a monthly rental model. Owing to our B-to-B model for restaurant/business owners, we have come to be known as a comprehensive online platform simplifying the processes of ordering and delivering food and conglomerating all elements on a single database. Customers can order food from anywhere, at anytime.
How do you see changing market segments affect Food Industry?
Food Industry always keeps on evolving and there’ll be new evolutions soon which are good for this sector. It is a huge market and everyone is welcome but only the one who focus on service and quality will survive in the game.
The Back-story
I’m from finance background; we have been in this business since eleven years. Being a foodie since childhood, it was always a passion. I was always interested in doing something with food. Once we have generated funds, we took our passion to the business. The concept of food was never commercialized. For me, it’s more of like I want world to taste every best dish possible and feel good about it, even in my worst time I would have established a ‘Pav Bhaji ka Thela’ and people would relish it. That is how we started and there was never look back.
The Inspiration
My journey in food industry was more of like a twist in my life. I was on complete bed rest for six months during my finance business. Since it was a revenue based market, my earnings started draining. It was on my bed when I was thinking if there’s any business which I pass on to my legacy even if I fell sick or in any mishap. I thought of creating my own brand, explored the food world and hit it.
The Response
I was lucky to get the perfect location for my restaurant. It’s around corporate area and being a vegetarian restaurant people took us in arms. That was the initial taste of success and the ride is still going on. We give a feedback form to our customer and we instantly get the review if they liked the food or not which help us in improvising. And if any customer didn’t like the food or service instead of bribing the customer with free meal; we offer them our best signature dishes. That is how we take care of our very special customers.
Efforts put into
It is difficult to quantify because we are generating money and investing back to our restaurant making it more happening. But initial capital was about six lacs.
The Changing Market Segments
Food is evolving in India, we are expanding. Since we are travelling more, we are experimenting with food. Other brands are coming to India and they are creating their own market. Definitely the change is inevitable and it is coming for good.
The Menu
Our concept was all about Street Food for example, Pav Bhaji and Chhole Bhature, never gone to mainstream a la carte menu. But now we have also introduced Chinese Cuisine and some fusion dishes. We are very experimental with our card.
The Hurdles in Starting Up
There’s a lot in F&B sector. But people should only enter this entry if they are passionate about it and not because it is a glamorous industry. Either it could take you to heights or make you fall on to the ground. We did a lot of analytics and number churning before taking a holy dip into this industry. A lot of people don’t realise that they could be flown away or drown away, they put money and behave impatiently but food industry takes time to grow.
Expansion Plans Via Franchisee
Yes, we are looking for spaces but our criteria are very rigid as we are actually focused about what we want. We want to open more stores with one carpet area to give it a cozy comfortable ambience. We have looked some properties in Ranchi and other areas. We have a franchise model and we are looking forward for it if we get mindful person sharing same passion for food. Also we prefer a local who is willing to invest in for franchisee.
What made you enter into the food business?
My family was in the food business for quite sometimes when my father opened first Indian restaurant in Kolkata. We have been into this business since 1995. Brickwood was just an idea about one and a half year ago. Wood fire pizza has always been something which grabbed my attention; it was something I want to try out. I think it was just by chance when we thought that Kolkata is ready for it. When we opened we were the only Wood fire pizza makers. Now there are few more but we maintain the authenticity of wood fire pizza because we actually burn the wood. We use the best quality ingredients available in Kolkata.
Share some glimpses of your journey with us?
Shashank and I joined hands together to open this restaurant. We wanted to do something unique in Kolkata and he has been in Kolkata for a longer period of time than me. We were brainstorming several ideas on what to experiment and come up with the restaurant. We once thought of doing Shawarma as it was also a craze that time. We were contemplating and finally found a property and got best chefs from the top hotels in Kolkata. Definitely luck was with us, we got best advices as Chef Banerjee from Oberoi asked us to do fabulous pizza. Then it clicked us and it was something I wanted to do since childhood. The idea became concrete from there only.
How do you see the competition?
There is no competition at all. A good authentic pizza is hard to find, even today we do not have enough authentic pizzerias’ in Kolkata so we are filling that gap. We make authentic wood fire pizza which is delicious, quality oriented and worth its price. We are trying to build a rapport among people as brickwood means pizza and pizza means brickwood.
What special do you have in your menu?
We are primarily a wood fire pizzeria. We also have lots of Italian products but pizzas are the main. We even have other items which have nothing to do with pizzas like garlic bread and our hot chocolate is rated as ‘the best’ among our customers. We always try to add new items to the menu as per customers’ demands. But if you go through the statistics, they show that pizzas are what we do best and what we are known for. Restaurateurs need to take care of their customers; hospitality industry is all about the service after all.
How do you sell your brand in terms of marketing?
We are moderately active on social platforms like Facebook and Zomato and else are taken care by organic word of mouth. And now we are looking up to boost our social media presence more aggressively.
How do you see changing market segments affect F&B industry?
I think it’s not so much of changing the market segment; it’s about the new market segments being added to the existing ones. Indians are too traditional in their ways not in just food but about living a life as well. So there is a void that’s what new trends are trying to fill. There are lots of gap to be filled up in each part of F&B sector. So, all of this is good for industry because it’s giving customer more of choices and thereby they’re going out to eat. This diversity would be a new evolution to the market.
What are your expansion plans?
We’re actually contemplating to work towards an end of franchise model. We are soon looking to expansions subject to investments coming.
What is the story behind Noodle ‘n You?
We are foodie by hearts and in love with Chinese cuisine; we cook Chinese more than Bengali food at our home. We wanted to serve people Chinese cuisine with affordable price. Keeping both quality and quantity good and to serve it in pocket friendly manner is our motive. We thought of serving people whole heartedly so that they could take away happiness with food from our place.
Is there any theme or concept which your restaurant follows?
It is a take away restaurant with cozy and comfortable atmosphere. You order online, come and take away your food with happiness.
Are you planning to expand?
Initially we thought of starting a small venture but now we are adding up a new outlet from next month only. And six months from now we are planning to expand to casual dining and then we’ll look forward for fine-dining. Take away restaurant is like a baby step, we have more to go.
Tell us something about Noodle ‘n You’s journey?
The whole idea was to start up a food venture. But if you ask me why Noodle ‘n You then I would be answering that we do not want people recognise us as a normal Chinese cuisine restaurant, it’s more than that. We wanted to do some innovation with the noodle; we have provided varieties with noodle matching the quantity. So there has to be some unique difference between normal Chinese cuisine and the main quotient.
How do you see your menu?
Our menu resembles our restaurant’s name. We have varieties of noodle like rice noodle, glass noodle, flak noodle, Vietnamese noodle soup; we have other foods also but we mainly experiment with noodle. Our Chef is also very innovative; we keep a Chef special dish daily at our restaurant. Also our Chefs are ready to cook according to the customer’s preference. Noodle is the thing which makes everyone happy but as a restaurant we can’t just keep noodle that is why we have other Chinese delicacies as well. We keep on improvising and adding more to our menu.
How do you see changing market segment affects the food sector? Do you see them as competitors?
New trends bring more scopes to Food & Beverages Industry. We can see many trends being followed and people are introducing fresh segments each day. The feeling of competition totally depends upon the perspective. We have introduced innovation with noodle, someone is bringing breakfast segment, and another one is working on beverage fusion. F&B is a huge market and everyone who could please consumer in a best possible way is most welcome.
How do you sell your product?
For now, we are banking on social media like facebook and zomato. We’re even getting good responses over there. It’s such a motivation that we got good ratings at zomato and other social media handles within a short span. It’s a hearty meal with affordable price and as far as quantity is concerned; we serve quality food with good quantity more than expected. We keep getting good feedbacks on the quantity of food that we’re serving at Noodle ‘n You. If they buy an a la carte item then they get a serving of two and a half people. When the quantity is good, quality is good then it is take away happiness. We just want to spread happiness in a form of food.
What made you enter into food business?
I was always foodie, always wanted to get into this industry. If there’s anything in which I’m interested that is food. From a very young age at home, I was in innovating food. I always had that thing in me which I wanted to come out with. Whatever experience I have gained, I want to give it all to my restaurant.
What innovations you had made?
There are many speciality restaurants in Kolkata but there’s not a restaurant where there are two speciality cuisines under one roof with true sense of that cuisine. I had made that possible with two executive chefs each one expert of both the cuisines i.e., North Indian and Oriental. There are even two different menus accordingly. If you see the menus, both the menus are very different from the food you get normally in Kolkata. I don’t have Chicken bhurta or Butter Masala; each item is different either it is North-Indian or Oriental like we have a special recipe called Kumbh Galoti which is Mushroom Galoti Kabab.
What makes your restaurant different from others in Kolkata?
You can find speciality North Indian restaurant, you can find speciality Oriental restaurant but you won’t find both at the same place. Also it is a place where we do not compromise at quality. We prepare menu according to the guest without even compromising on quality. We have achieved whatever we want to because customers blindly say that it is the best Oriental or North Indian we have ever tasted in Kolkata.
Where do you get your supply of raw materials from?
I get Chicken & Mutton from New Market as I do not want to compromise on the quality. Also I make ensure to buy the product daily unlike other places just to have fresh one.
How do you see changing market segments affect the food service industry?
It really affects a lot. You need to understand the market properly as every place is different. I understand Kolkata very much because I’m born and brought up here but if it would be some other place, I would have thought ten times before investing. As Kolkata people are price sensitive, quality sensitive and taste sensitive; it makes the task real difficult to understand a complicated market like this and satiate all the needs at the same time.
How do you see the customer response?
We have witnessed a very pleasing customer response. Our ambience is at par with five stars environment with really low price. Also, the best part of The Palms I would say is service. People say that it’s really difficult to gain a service experience like this anywhere else in Kolkata. We usually give our customers a comment card and if somebody has commented wrong then we call the customer directly and take the cause in consideration. We try to build an interaction with customer. We want to establish our restaurant in hearts of people and then will expand with different genre.
The idea
I wanted to start a cafe which uses local produce and Indian ingredients in an innovative way. The food is the normal sandwiches, pizzas and burgers which are transmitted with local ingredients and vegetables. We are doing a salad where we are using amla, star fruits and aloe vera. I am trying to go back to the roots in an innovative way. We are doing jackfruit burger, mixed fruit burgers and the flavours are very international made from local ingredients. It is better for the health, economy and the environment.
Investment
My mother is helping me with the investment. I invested around 30 lakh to start this cafe. The response has been good as it’s been now 45 days. We are getting around 10-15 customers on an average in a day.
Trading on local produce
If you understand the value of something available locally, it is beneficial for everybody- consumer, economy band. It is better for the environment as well because you are doing less import. Today, everyone is becoming health conscious especially at urban environment where everyone has 9 to 5 jobs and they have got less time to cook at home. So, there has to be a trend like that. And, as far as trends is concerned it is the future. More people are turning vegetarian, people are today becoming more aware about lactose intolerant or other things and we have all such options in our category of foods. And, I think local ingredients tastes good in local area.
Getting the best ingredients
We source vegetables from Gurgaon. And, other groceries from different parts of India. Pineapple from North east, teas from Himalayas etc. If you look at vendors nobody will give you Tulsi, Aloe vera so we are growing it on our own. We are growing approximately 10 varieties of basil, marua, lemon etc. Right now it’s all are in very experimental way because we do not have a continuous supply. It is very easy to find foreign ingredients then to our own home grown ingredients. I hope there is some awareness created and there is some demand created about local produce so the backend will be sorted.
Design is the key
We have one seating in the cafe which is like sit down seating in which you sit cross legged. We have tried to keep very minimal interiors with black and white wood finish. Our chairs are made of sagwan wood. Or cutlery is made of bamboo and sheesham. We are using bowls that are natural bowls in sheesham wood.
Marketing it right
Right now we are relying on word of mouth because so many people are recommending us. We are not doing any aggressive marketing as of now because we believe word mouth bring long term result.
Overcoming challenges
The biggest challenge is getting the right ingredients as the backend is a complete chaos. Everybody is still relying on international ingredients as there is no consistency for Indian ingredients in the market. We started Cafe Shunya food lab where we will have seasonal dish or drink.
THE IDEA
It was in 2012 when Ambar relocated to India after about 13 years. He and his wife gave up their corporate jobs to come back and live close to the hills in Chandigarh with their two young boys. After a long break of almost two years, they decided to get back to some work, something of their own; something that they would enjoy doing and something that would be of a manageable scale. “Honestly, it was never a part of the plan. Personally, I wanted to do a mountaineering course and take kids on camps and hike, or something like that. But given my wife’s love for food, her idea of opening a restaurant prevailed. And here we are today,” shares Ambar.
DECIDING ON LOCATION
There was definitely some insight research,while deciding on such critical factors. But, the brand definitely do not agree with the clichéd ‘location, location, location’ mantra. They don’t say location is not important, but they believe the more average you’re product, the higher should be your dependence on your location. They think the most critical part is to know who exactly your customer is and how does he actually go about making a purchase decision. Simply put, if one is able to crack that, one has got most of his answers.
THE FOOD
“I often say, we’re trying to tell a story. It is like food is the medium and restaurant is the space. I’d like to believe our food is a clear reflection of the story that we’re trying to tell. And that’s why on our menu, you’ll see simple Indian vegetables like karela, katahal, jimikand and arbi being celebrated alongside exotic dishes made out of say squid ink pasta,” adds Ambar.
THE DESIGN
The restaurant focuses more on utilitarian design. They believe design has a function. It needs to try and elevate the customer experience without complicating it. Also, it needs to deliver on your story-telling. They have engaged Studio Organon to design the Chandigarh restaurant and they’ve done an absolutely great job! They also hand pick other independent creative and work closely with them to develop brand and design elements.
EXPANSION PLANS
Today, WD is a small brand with very big dreams. Having created the best restaurant brand in Chandigarh, they are, in the next one year, going to challenge the biggest and more established markets of the country - Delhi & Mumbai. They are extremely confident of their product and team. And, are confident that in the next couple of years, WD will be ranked among the top 5 restaurant brands in India. The group is also planning to take WD outside India in couple of years and believes there’s a huge potential there!
1441 Pizzeria has introduced one of the unique wood fired Pizzas with freshest veggies in India. Established in 2015 and named out of longitude and latitude of origin place of the first Wood Fired Pizzeria in the world, Pizzeria 1441 has two outlets and 1 laboratory in Mumbai.
What inspired you to launch wood fired Pizzeria?
My love and passion for food kept me going which led to opening of this outlet. My father and I always wanted to create one of the best Italian wood fired pizzas in India which is made of the freshest ingredients and also reasonably priced. We offer an authentic Italian wood fired pizza at similar prices as compared the other leading pizza makers. We have two Pizzeria's and 1 laboratory in Mumbai where we only do deliveries.
The name 1441 Pizzeria is based on the longitude and latitude of Naples, the origin of the first Wood Fired Pizzeria in the world.
Which are the different types of Pizzas you offer?
We offer only 11inches size thin crust pizza in different price points namely Margarita Pizza + 1 topping at Rs 345, Classic Veg Pizza at Rs 495, Classic non-veg pizza at Rs 595 and Gourmet Pizza at Rs 696.
What are ingredients used in this quick casual pizza that makes it unique from others?
We have several unique things about 1441 Pizzeria- Pizza's are made in a wood fired oven, flour is imported and made especially for 1441 from Italy, tomatoes for our signature sauce come from Italy, have a new interactive concept for making your own pizza with unlimited toppings. We use top quality ingredients made in Italy along with the freshest veggies from local markets. We do not use any preservatives or sugar in our ingredients making it healthier as compared to competition.
How Masterchef Renato Viola’s guidance helps you boast a fine selection of Pizzas?
He was handy in creating the recipes of the sauces and pizza dough. He trained all our staff in the traditional art of pizza making.
How do you ensure the fastest delivery of the Pizza? What is the timeline?
We have recently started delivery and cannot comment on the same. But in our Pizzeria once you place your order it takes around 5-7 minutes for the Pizza to reach you at the table.
What is your target consumer group?
We target a large consumer group, from children to elders. We have 6 year olds bringing their parents for our Nutella Pizza, teenagers frequenting us for mid day meals and families coming at all times.
What are your future plans of expansion of outlets and investment?
We are consolidating our operations and creating manuals for future growth and expansion. We are looking to expand rapidly through both franchise and corporate owned pizzerias. No comment on the investment at this moment.
We are visioning to create the best quality Italian pizza, which is both healthy and very reasonable for people to have it very often.
How do your foresee the consumption of Italian food and the future of QSR in India?
Pizza is the fastest growing segment in QSR. However 1441 Pizzeria is a little different, we are a new segment called the quick casual segment, which is slowly gaining importance and market share where people enjoy the promptness of the service and the ambiance to sit and enjoy their meal for 30-45 minutes.
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