Yearender 2021: How Mumbai's newest restaurants braved the second pandemic year

Hospitality businesses worldwide mdashfrom travel to gastronomy mdashwere hit the hardest by the pandemic Even though the lockdown saw deliveries skyrocketing as restaurants paused inperson dining the industry continued to suffer huge losses owing to drops in revenue and profitability leading many to close down operations permanently In what can be termed as the most volatile times several entrepreneurs kept the faith alive and opened up new ventures To better understand the challenges and strategy behind running a hospitality business in the pandemic MidDaycom spoke to four entrepreneurs from Mumbai who set up distinct types of eateries this yearRahul Bajaj Founder of Anglo IndianRahul moved to Lonavala during the pandemic to establish AngloIndian PicRahul BajajThe pandemic led many Mumbaikars to spend more time in nearby towns of Lonavala Panchgani and Mahableshwar owing to them being free of crowds and close to nature Rahul Bajaj founder of Anglo Indian and Out of the Blue also moved base and set out on a new journey ldquoWhen the pandemic hit a lot of Mumbaikars were moving to Lonavala including my family because we have a house there We had to shut Out of The Blue as things were getting really bad The workaholic in me didnrsquot let me rest and we expedited the process on the Lonavala projectrdquo Outlining his strategy behind Anglo Indian he shares ldquoWe wanted to offer the people of Lonavala a taste of Mumbai food as it is a fruitful market and it worked out in our favourrdquoExecuting the project became a mammoth task with the complications that came during the lockdown ldquoWe started Anglo Indian project after we got the notice for shutting down the place in Mumbai and I left for Lonavala But as the situation began to get worse our workers started leaving for their hometown which led to delays in the project So instead of opening in 2020 we launched in 2021 We opened during the rainy season and two days before the main launch there was a landslide heavy rain and storm in Lonavala the entire place had to shut for two days for clearancerdquoLogistics have been a major issue for restaurants acquiring high quality specific ingredients ldquoGetting supplies to Lonavala has been a challenge and still continues to be as some of the vegetables for example broccoli and sundried tomatoes are not easily available Since a lot of raw materials were not easily available we couldnrsquot launch the actual Anglo Indian menu on time Out of The Blue was known for its fondue and sizzlers but we could not launch it We had to rework the menu as per what was easily available and that led to some negative feedbackrdquo The lack of delivery partners also impacted business ldquoZomato riders were not available in our area Considering we only opened for takeaway and delivery in the initial stage delivery via Zomato was not possible so we had to bring in our own delivery people There have been times we had no orders for three days and times when we got a bulk order for soups And everyone started walking in after we got a little traction going and we started our dinein with a limited menurdquoOnce the issues were ironed out and Anglo Indian was up and running customers came ldquoWe got a lot of positive responses from people around that they finally had a good place to rely on for ordering in from their homes and of course diningin once we openedrdquoFreny Fernandes Founder and Chef Moner Bistro and Dessert BarMoner is a desertfocussed restaurant which serves a vast range of tempting desserts PicFreny FernandesChef Freny Fernandeswanted to open Moner when she returned from her stint at Noma in Copenhagen three years back ldquoAfter having eaten around the world I realised that when it comes to desserts the industry in India still has a long way to go Dessert was still looked upon as the last course or like an optional course I wanted to change that I wanted desserts to be the centre of attention and create a space where people could experience desserts like never beforerdquoDue to delays Monerrsquos launch was pushed back by a year ldquoI had set out to open Moner before the pandemic but unfortunately just during our interior work we got hit by the pandemic in March 2020 It felt as if we faced a million complications and delays Finally we opened Moner in December 2020 and after that itrsquos been all about adaptationrdquo From strawberry and cream tarts to chocolate chip cookies from almond milk coffee to dalgona the quaint bistro serves a varied menu that caters to those with a sweet tooth Their savoury offerings include the Moner club chicken burger pan seared Norwegian salmon and Fettuccini with Corn VelouteTalking about the challenges she faced Fernandesadds ldquoAs if opening a restaurant let alone a dessertspecific restaurant in Mumbai wasnrsquot hard enough I had to open and run one in the middle of a pandemic Everyday wersquod be faced with some new complication or some new guideline From being focused on plated desserts we then went on to also increase our offering in terms of savoury foods and petit gateaux ie food that was delivery and takeawayfriendly Because we realised that although our concept was great we came in at the wrong time And the only thing we could do to survive was adapt There was also a time when the government regulations and timings were constantly changing and we constantly had to tweak our menu to match the timings Like when we could be open only until 4 pm we began opening early in the morning and started a special breakfast menu that featured our crepe barrdquoStressing the importance of adaptation and innovation for a hospitality business she concludes ldquoOriginally our concept was that wersquod be a bistro throughout the day and post 7 pm turn into a dessert bar serving exclusive plated desserts but after the time restrictions we had to change that to serve plated desserts all day I also realised that for a brand like Moner it makes more sense to be in a place with high footfall like on a busy street or a mall And so wersquore expanding to a popup kiosk at the new Jio mall where wersquod be serving Monerrsquos exclusive desserts that could be enjoyed on the gordquoTanima Dey Owner United Nations of Asia UNA cafeServing panAsian cuisine UNA United Nations of Asia cafe opened in October 2021 Owner Tanima Dey shares ldquoThe pandemic was one of the key reasons and driving factors for the opening of the restaurant as many people were willing to stay home and order and not step out Also the crowd was looking for a variety in terms of cuisine and was open to trying new cuisines which led us to open this panAsian restaurantrdquo From thukpa to tom yum UNA cafe serves a range of delectable dishes Their signature dishes include chicken satay spicy soy shrimp rice sesame soy noodles and spicy chilli basil cottage cheese baoThere were challenges however when it came to establishing a new brand in the COVIDera Dey talked about some of them ldquoGetting people to know about the brand ensuring that we had the right set of sanitisation processes and temperature checks for the staff and keeping the place hygienic and cleanrdquo But she said that online and offline partners and effective marketing ultimately helped in establishing the brandDey thinks that the biggest challenge is getting that first order from the customer which is always tricky She said ldquoBut once we have managed to get that first order be it through an aggregator or walkins at the cafe we have overall received excellent feedback Everyone has been loving the food and giving us a lot of appreciationrdquoTalking about changes in consumer behaviour Dey offered her insights ldquoSurprisingly more diningin is happening The ratio is 6040 for dinein to online orders Popularity is increasing with word of mouth as well Our guests are our brand ambassadors spreading the love of the caferdquo With repeat customers giving positive word of mouth recommendations to everyone around them Dey is optimistic about her restaurantrsquos success even in an everchanging climatePrasuk Jain owner The Game Palacio and Pink WasabiThe Game Palacio is a oneofakind arcade with a wide variety of games and dining and Pink Wasabi is a panAsian eatery launched this past year in Mumbai Prasuk Jain talked about the strategy behind opening The Game Palacio and Pink Wasabi in these uncertain times ldquoAs we all know international travel has been banned for quite a while now The city has not really seen a concept like Game Palacio and Pink Wasabi The idea was to curate the entire experience of dining keeping it not just limited to food and alcohol Pink Wasabi not only gives an experience of the London vibe but the food that we have experimented with gives an added touch of flavour to Asian cuisinerdquo The Game Palacio serves an eclectic multicuisine menu which includes hand tossed pizzas Asian appetizers sushi indulgent desserts and much moreSome of their most intriguing dishes include the Thai sambal Korean tofu dim sum the black rice edamame roll saffron risotto and smoked charcoal flanSpeaking about some of the challenges and opportunities around establishing a new brand in the COVIDera especially with an inperson arcade format like The Game Palacio Prasuk Jain says ldquoPeople are extremely comfortable in a safe environment when the protocol is followed and hygiene is maintained at the arcade The Game Palacio has gone out of its way to ensure the comfort of the customer As we all know that international travel is no more the way it used to be we knew this is the right time to launch an international format like Game Palacio which is similar in concept to the Brooklyn Bowl Concept and international quality are two important parameters along with safety and hygiene which will help make a brandrdquoThe Game Palacios bowling alley was designed in Hungary PicPrasuk JainWhen asked about how peoplersquos increasing preference for ordering over diningin affected his restaurant Pink Wasabi Jain said ldquoThis is more of a myth People are done sitting at home with no travel making them step out the very moment the ban was lifted from the hospitality world While we felt that people are going out of business I believe the market has become bigger People want to witness a normal life once again hence entertainment and hospitality will see a jump in the near future But will the jump be consistent is the questionrdquoJain spoke of some of the challenges they faced in operations ldquoEvery retailer in the country has faced challenges from rental issues low footfalls salaries taxation support electric support property tax issues etc with the added trouble of shutting the place by 1200 which earlier was 800 and 1000 Deliveries picked up for brands who have been In delivery business forever but a delivery model for a restaurant is not an easy shift due to kitchen expensesrdquoJain is quite happy about the response theyrsquove received so far ldquoPink Wasabi and Game Palacio are some of the most wellknown brands in the city now so all I know is that people like our taste and the concepts we have createdrdquoAlso ReadPlay it by year Your guide to city events to bring in 2022