“If anything is good for pounding humility into you permanently, it’s the restaurant business.” – Anthony Bourdain
There are many variables that factor in whether a restaurant is ‘current’ or not. In the same breath, we can also consider restaurants that aren’t influenced with time. There are exceptions. For instance, MTR in Bangalore and Moti Mahal in Delhi are considered to be legendary restaurants. But these are the kind of restaurants that don’t compete with time. However, there are plenty who do and need help. A great product can sell itself. Ideally, yes. But today it isn’t enough. A successful restaurant goes beyond food. Let’s break this down.
When it comes to decor, less is more
Two young engineers who had spent a significant amount of time in Hyderabad and Bangalore, had made a keen observation that these two cities had theme-based restaurants going for them. Rishi Singhal and Mohit Harlalka then moved to Kolkata where they opened their aircraft-themed restaurant Fly Kouzina. Mohit believes a theme like this would attract customers and can be replicated in case they decide to turn it into a c̶h̶a̶i̶n̶ fleet of restaurants. He also says they change the menu every six months and add or alter an element in the decor every now and then to keep things fresh. Since they’ve been constantly innovating, they’ve had people from all over the city visit them, as opposed to being popular in only the neighbourhood. Fly Kouzina’s simple yet unique decor has caught the attention of diners across the city.
Bigger flavours, smaller menu
Five days shy of turning two, Basil With A Twist, a European restaurant in Chennai, boasts of authenticity bearing local flavours in mind. Owner Bogdan Maksimovic passionately talks about food and flavours. He says you can’t have 500 dishes on the menu and have all of them be good. Different dishes require different cooking techniques and flavours, and that’s why he chose to stay true to his European roots. “A smaller, compact menu even with multiple cuisines means you don’t have to repeat dishes, and can stay authentic.” Bogdan wants to give his diners an experience through his food. Even if it’s a diner’s only visit, he says he wants them to have the best experience with his food and impeccable service.
Keeping up with the rhythm
Aarthi Rao-Shetty of BFlat and Highnote in Bangalore, the 8-year-old bar and restaurant dedicated to showcasing musical talent from across the country, says the key to finding the best upcoming talent is to keep an ear to the ground. “It takes years to develop taste and set a benchmark. Once you do, it has to then be consistent,” she says. She keeps a tab on current and relevant music and upcoming musicians through YouTube, SoundCloud, events, visiting other venues, sometimes even receiving music via email. BFlat and Highnote host at least two to three live gigs a week, and Aarthi says she never compromises on quality.
If yours isn’t a bar, it shouldn’t sound like it is one in there. A diner shouldn’t have to lean towards the other person at their table to converse. And if it is indeed a bar, you should be on top of your music game. People coming into a music-based bar or restaurant, come for the music.
Are you hooked?
XII Zodiac in Kolkata has a unique theme where diners are suggested dishes based on their star sign. This is quite an interesting concept given that it possibly could be one of its kind. When we asked General Manager, Bilash, he says, “People want different and new experiences every day. Many of us still wake up to read our horoscopes in the daily newspaper looking for something new that day.” He tells us how people read reviews on Zomato about his restaurant’s theme, and that in turn draws more (and frequent) diners. The menu is themed on the same elements as horoscopes – air, water, earth and fire.
Another example is Bangalore’s Chutney Chang, a buffet restaurant. And a buffet restaurant means plenty choice, right? Right. Except Chutney Chang went beyond the ordinary, to become one that serves the most number of dishes. 55 to 60 in this case. By adding more dishes, they simply turned that into their USP. People flock the place, and it is a huge hit. Another one that comes to mind is Bob Bob Ricard, London. They have a ‘Press for champagne’ button at every table, which has been a tremendous crowd puller and pleaser. Almost every diner talks about it in their review. At the end of the day, whether a unique selling point works on not, is up to how you package and sell it.
Are you being served?
The Great Kabab Factory in Noida reaps in positive reviews about their service. Manager Deepak Singh believes that a weekly refresher training sessions keep the staff on their toes and helps them serve diners extremely well week after week. In these training sessions, they emphasize on body language, eye contact, telephone etiquette, and many other factors that go into creating a great dining experience. It’s important for the staff to feel like they’re a part of creating that experience. After all, they are the face of the restaurant. And you’ve got to put a smile on them.
There are no guarantees in any business, let alone the restaurant one. But that doesn’t mean regular innovation should slow down. If you don’t see customers returning, if you don’t see good reviews, and if you don’t see your business growing, it isn’t time to shut shop. It’s time to take a step back, and find a way to take an innovative leap forward.
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