Mumbai's food entrepreneurs reveal their business mantras in hospitality

They dared to think big when they started out young on a roller-coaster ride of a career in hospitality. Today, these five restaurateurs and food innovators are proud that they never hesitated to take that leap of faith when it mattered the most. Five young Turks reveal how they broke new ground and fought the odds in a volatile, high-pressure landscape.

1. Mantra no.
'Do it with passion, hard work and dedication'
Avik Chatterjee, head of innovations, Speciality Hospitality

My mantra to success is PHD and by PHD, I don't mean a doctorate in any specific field. There is one thing my dad taught me and that is to have passion for what you are doing; do it with hard work and always be disciplined; hence, PHD. Another motto that I follow with my employees and also share with them are the 4 Es (Energy, Energise others, Edge, Execution) of leadership by Jack Welch. Once while travelling to Dubai, I overheard a couple of ladies at a bar, in heels, complain about teetering back home in them. So I thought why not keep flat slippers at POH for the ladies who enjoy their drinks. It helps convey the message that we care.

2. Mantra no.
'Think long-
Munaf Kapadia, chief eating officer, The Bohri Kitchen

The only life lesson that helped The Bohri kitchen to achieve success, although I wouldn't call it so, is something that happened three years ago. In 2015, I left my dream job with Google to become a samosa salesman. The only thing that made me take the decision was some very critical advice at the right time from senior people at the company; people I looked up to. They told me, "Munaf, we understand that you're young and the idea of quitting a company like this seems radical and almost impossible. But it's important that you don't look at it through a short-term lens. Think where it will take you in 10 years. That's when you'll realise that even if you quit Google today and The Bohri Kitchen turns out be a dud where you fail, you can get back into the corporate race. You'll get a job again. But if it works, you have something to fall back on in the long term." This advice played a critical role for me, and it's a success mantra I happily share.

3. Mantra no.
'Trust your instincts'
Karyna Bajaj, executive director, KA Hospitality

The F&B industry is so dynamic and ever-changing that you learn something new every day. Being young in the industry with so many great brands emerging, I am exposed to new challenges and learn to overcome them with the support of my team. Building my two restaurants, Nara and CinCin, from scratch within the last six months has been a difficult yet rewarding experience. It has also given me the most learnings, and continues to do so every day. Trying to bring your vision to life involves different aspects and starts with your team members believing in the ethos of the brand and everything that it stands for. Our guests appreciate innovative and original experiences which are well complemented with seamless service. Success and failure are a part of every new journey, but as a young brand, we constantly try and innovate and better ourselves. My big learning has been
to trust my instinct and follow my intuition.

4. Mantra no.
'Take calculative risks'
Bhakti Mehta, chef and co-founder, The Little Food Co.

You can start small, and that mainly means with no money. I started Little Food Co. with the idea of wanting to work with food, and not how it will make me money. I did two jobs for almost a year, working all week, and I made my dream into a reality while calculating the risks alongside. When I started, it was on my own terms and I stayed on course. I made plans, put out the product the best way we knew and learnt to get better in our time. I kept regretting not going to culinary school or taking an investment early on. But neither did I have the means to do this nor the confidence. Instead, I embraced my limitations, learnt on the job and told myself it was okay to do this my way. I worked from my mother's home kitchen with just one helper, was thrown out from two other kitchen apartments and today, I have a commercial kitchen with a team of 30 and three brands. It has been an incredible journey over the last eight years.

5. Mantra no.
'Focus on the customer; create a legacy'
Sandeep Sreedharan, founder, Esca Brahma gourmet company and Curry Tales

There is a lot of bias in this industry, whether it comes to food, process or the science behind the food. Don't be a part of this bias; question everything and follow your gut instinct. Secondly, find a goal (in my case it was to focus on western coastal cuisine and popularise it), because that offers you clarity, and clarity gives your business direction. Also, spend some time educating your customer. Else, you will be dictated by their terms and produce what they dictate. Lastly, work at creating a legacy, not chasing fame. This will mean that you will be vulnerable to failure but remember that success is a process, not an event. I wish that members of India's various communities work at bringing simple, home-style cooking into the larger mainstream.

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