Against the grain

The Coronavirus pandemic has hit most industries but few have felt the impact as acutely as hospitality The Indian hotel industry has taken a hit of over R130 lakh crore in revenue for the fiscal year 202021 due to the pandemic according to the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India FHRAI The sector saw a glimmer of hope as cases dropped sharply in the country after the first wave only to be thrust back into an existential crisis Why then would somebody want to open a restaurant during the most unpredictable time in recent historyThree restaurateurs who have launched their brick and mortar establishments in the last one year talk about the economics of taking the plungelsquoThe thali will never go out of fashionrsquoAji Nair Director Berryblue Hospitality Private Ltd and founder Rasotsav Andheri WestWe launched Rasotsav a vegetarian thali restaurant this year after a wait of 15 months The Coronavirus pandemic isnrsquot leaving us anytime soon so we needed to work our way around it The good part is that it hasnrsquot stopped people from stepping out and dining at restaurants What we realised is that premium hospitality brands are doing good business because people are looking for high safety and hygiene standards and will visit places that inspire confidence Of course nobody is making profits at this juncture Itrsquos not even covering our overhead costs but the landscape could change if they allow us to operate for longer hoursAji Nair was instrumental in launching one of the largest thali chains in the country a decade ago He launched Rasotsav in June to fulfil his dream of owning a thali restaurant PicsAnurag AhireAt this point you can run a restaurant only if the owner the landlord and the staff are ready to make certain sacrifices including lowering the rent or accepting a salary cut If these parties are on the same page you can soldier onThis is my 20th year in the hospitality business I was instrumental in setting up one of the largest thali chains in the country thali is what Irsquom passionate about What works in its favour is the varietymdashI serve nothing less than 30 items A buffet might have the same variety but it requires you to get up and go to the counter Here itrsquos being served to you As a patron you also know that what yoursquore being served is fresh and straight out of the kitchen Therersquos no waiting period yoursquore served as soon as you are ready Itrsquos unlimited and the hospitality is warm and friendly A thali is said to be a representation of six tastes sweet sour salty pungent bitter and astringent And that itrsquos ageagnostic works in its favour Itrsquos a concept that can never run out of fashion in IndiaI had been on the hunt for new digs for nearly two years I managed to find my dream space only in the lockdownmdashgood location on the ground floor and with valet parking Right now my main challenge is retaining manpower The fear is that if therersquos another lockdown they might leave for their villageslsquoWhen the chips are down the only way is uprsquoVedant Shah CEO and founder Plural FortI have harboured a passion for food and beverage but always thought of it as a hobby Itrsquos funny that it turned into a serious endeavour when the hospitality sector was witnessing one of its most destablising downturns I started interning at a fine dine restaurant in early 2020 Ideally I would have liked to work at a couple of establishments before turning entrepreneur But nobody wanted an intern who had nothing to give As devastating as the lockdown was it gave me the time to get to the drawing board Itrsquos in the middle of last year that I decided to take the plunge It opening a restaurant was and continues to be a risk As they say when the chips are down the only way is upVedant Shah 25 opened Plural to serve cuisine from Cambodia Laos and Vietnam PicBipin KokateThe 1900sqft Plural that now stands in Kala Ghoda is not what I had originally envisioned I had a much smaller space in mind That said I set up the restaurant keeping in mind that it is here to stay With so many restaurant closures landlords have realised that they have to be accommodating Which is how I even managed to land a place in South Mumbai The audience in SoBo is an eclectic mix and more experimental than the suburban resident The area has a motley mix of lawyers stockbrokers designers who represent a section of the TG that we are eyeing We wanted to open sometime around March this year and thatrsquos when the second wave hit Again we had to adapt and pivot something the pandemic has compelled businesses to do Although I was keen on opening dining first followed by delivery therersquos only so much I could wait So we started with delivery in May and we launched dining two months later The response has been encouraging Our model is built around dinein everything is meant to be enjoyed fresh We offer South East Asian food Vietnamese being one of the key regions we represent Itrsquos a niche cuisine there isnrsquot much here when it comes to food from Cambodia Laos and Vietnam What I find striking about it is the vibrancy of the cuisine the use of herbs and the generous dose of spiceslsquoChembur needed a great coffee and sandwich optionrsquoRachi Gupta Executive chef and founder The Bread Bar ChemburAfter working in France and Spain I was disappointed by the lack of great coffee and bread options in Chembur My friends family and I would regularly travel to Bandra or SoBo to get good grub and coffee A major factor that I had to bear in mind before launching the Bread Bar was whether I would be able to pay the rent for the kitchen and my employeesrsquo salaries especially since we are still facing Covid19 restrictions When we started building the kitchen in January the restrictions had just been lifted after the first wave and we were excited to start this ventureRachi Gupta 22 at the Bread Bar which offers freshly baked goods including handrolled New York style bagels flavoured sweet and savoury Babka Japanesestyle milk bread and ketofriendly almond bread and sourdough PicShadab KhanThe market for artisanal breads is still very small in Mumbai given that most people are hesitant about purchasing a bread that will cost them 10 times more than a commercially produced product they buy cheap at a general store However it the market is gradually growing in size as more people become aware of the different kinds of breads being made around the world and appreciate the high quality of artisanal productsIt is extremely difficult to run an establishment when operating hours are restricted like they have been right through the pandemic At the moment we are focusing on pickup deliveries and online orders It has been a humbling experience actually and on some days my small team and I are overwhelmed by the orders On slow days we spend time working on new items for the menu In my opinion hospitality is still a very attractive business proposition in Mumbai because the people of this city are adventurous and open to new experiences All entertainment industries have been affected by the restrictions including theatres sporting and performing establishments but restaurants are still able to offer some respite to people from the changes brought about by the pandemic