Extra helping!
By Deepali Singh
Established restaurants are promoting local start-ups and food brands. It’s a synergy that is giving them that extra boost.
What’s a samosa from The Bohri Kitchen doing on the menu at Social? That was the thought that struck us as we happily placed an order for the Dal Shaal Teh Samosa Bemisaal and the Oh-My-Gosht! samosa at Social’s Khar outlet, a couple of days ago. Later, once our tummies were full and we could think a little more clearly, we realised that the delicious samosas we just devoured were on the menu because of #SocialSupports, a program designed by Social that offers local start-ups a chance to showcase their talent using the eatery’s physical space.
A push in the right direction
Riyaaz Amlani, CEO of Impressario Entertainment & Hospitality was impressed by the way The Bohri Kitchen’s Munaf Kapadia was trying to promote ethnic Bohri cuisine and decided to collaborate with them. All the five outlets of Social will have TBK samosas on their menu till May 15. “We are a big fan of people who are trying to promote indigenous and community-based cuisine. So when Munaf suggested we have their samosas on our menu for some time, we said why not,” says Amlani.
For Kapadia, this collaboration could not have been better timed, as they are in the middle of setting up a central kitchen and starting a food delivery service. “I’m trying to experiment with what will work and what will not. For example, I knew my samosas were a strong product but when we had to dispatch an order of 1,200 samosas, it was a struggle. The team at Social helped me with the technical knowledge of how to ensure that the food does not get spoiled during transportation. We have incorporated their suggestions and that is going to help us when we set up our operations,” he says. It is a great learning opportunity for Kapadia who acknowledges the fact that Social is a much bigger brand. “While they must be catering to a thousand people every day, we at The Bohri Kitchen must have catered to a thousand people in all. They have given me a chance to figure out how to customise my products for a business-to-business model and I’m grateful for that,” he adds.
The right fit
For any collaboration to work, there has to be some sort of meeting ground. When Bandra-based Thai food restaurant Eat Thai started stocking almond milk, chia seed pudding and bliss balls from the healthy, vegan food delivery service Bowl Bar around six months ago, everyone wondered what the connection was between vegan food and Thai cuisine. “But I realised that Thai food is something that naturally leans towards vegan because of the liberal use of coconut milk in the preparations. Before it seemed as if there was no natural connection, and then suddenly there was one,” laughs Marissa Bronfman, owner of Bowl Bar.
Ashish Sajnani, co-owner of Eat Thai, was only too happy to offer Bronfman a physical space to sell her products from. “It works for both of us. Our clients get to try out her stuff, while hers get to try out ours,” says Sajnani, who believes that if he’s getting the chance to support a local start-up, then he should back it all the way. “It’s good to help someone grow their business,” adds the restaurateur who also helps retail local teas, honey and granola bars from his restaurant Le Café in Chembur. While it may not guarantee sales, what such an association offers is a visibility for the product. “For setting up any business, especially in Mumbai, getting real estate is so difficult. So to know that I have a small physical space to retail my products from is a blessing,” adds Bronfman.
For a restaurant that celebrates Indian food, Bombay Canteen’s association with home cooks Ananya Banerjee and Katy Billimoria for their pickles, only helps strengthen their positioning. The Canteen Bakery prepares mava cakes and nan khatais in-house but for the pickles, the restaurant decided to scout around for some interesting pickles being made by home chefs. “We zeroed down on these two home chefs and their pickles have been available here for two-three weeks now,” informs Chef Thomas Zacharias. While Banerjee’s dhone patar aachar and prawn kasundi are quite popular, Billimoria’s lagan nu aachar made with carrots is also garnering curiosity. “These are really good products and we’re happy to give them a platform,” adds Zacharias, who believes that eateries supporting local start ups is definitely a positive trend.
Customer satisfaction guaranteed
The customer is always the king and these restaurants believe that such collaborations and associations ultimately benefit the consumer. Imagine stepping inside an eatery and getting to choose from not just one, but two brands of foods. “It becomes a great way of giving your regulars a variety,” believes Arpana Gvalani, founder of Gostana, who, till last year, would sell food blogger Amrita Rana’s famous bacon jam from her outlet and is open to more likeminded associations.
Amlani seconds Gvalani when he says that it’s all about keeping your customers happy. “We like providing our guests with something new and fresh which they normally wouldn’t come across. Since we have guests sitting here for an hour or more, a collaboration such as the one with The Bohri Kitchen, helps us showcase some interesting foods which they may not have across till now,” he adds.
Established restaurants are promoting local start-ups and food brands. It’s a synergy that is giving them that extra boost.
What’s a samosa from The Bohri Kitchen doing on the menu at Social? That was the thought that struck us as we happily placed an order for the Dal Shaal Teh Samosa Bemisaal and the Oh-My-Gosht! samosa at Social’s Khar outlet, a couple of days ago. Later, once our tummies were full and we could think a little more clearly, we realised that the delicious samosas we just devoured were on the menu because of #SocialSupports, a program designed by Social that offers local start-ups a chance to showcase their talent using the eatery’s physical space.
We’ve all heard of the proverb, big fish eat little fish. And while that may hold true for many cases, the hospitality industry in Mumbai seems to be turning the adage on its head. From retailing products made by home chefs to backing smaller food delivery services, established restaurants in the city are opening their doors to support local start-ups to give them a platform to showcase their products. So you have Social backing The Bohri Kichen, while Desi Deli sells Raw Pressury cold-pressed juices at their café . And as they tell us, forget the fact that it’s a win-win situation for both the restaurant as well as the smaller brand, the ultimate winner is the consumer.
A push in the right direction
Riyaaz Amlani, CEO of Impressario Entertainment & Hospitality was impressed by the way The Bohri Kitchen’s Munaf Kapadia was trying to promote ethnic Bohri cuisine and decided to collaborate with them. All the five outlets of Social will have TBK samosas on their menu till May 15. “We are a big fan of people who are trying to promote indigenous and community-based cuisine. So when Munaf suggested we have their samosas on our menu for some time, we said why not,” says Amlani.
For Kapadia, this collaboration could not have been better timed, as they are in the middle of setting up a central kitchen and starting a food delivery service. “I’m trying to experiment with what will work and what will not. For example, I knew my samosas were a strong product but when we had to dispatch an order of 1,200 samosas, it was a struggle. The team at Social helped me with the technical knowledge of how to ensure that the food does not get spoiled during transportation. We have incorporated their suggestions and that is going to help us when we set up our operations,” he says. It is a great learning opportunity for Kapadia who acknowledges the fact that Social is a much bigger brand. “While they must be catering to a thousand people every day, we at The Bohri Kitchen must have catered to a thousand people in all. They have given me a chance to figure out how to customise my products for a business-to-business model and I’m grateful for that,” he adds.
The right fit
For any collaboration to work, there has to be some sort of meeting ground. When Bandra-based Thai food restaurant Eat Thai started stocking almond milk, chia seed pudding and bliss balls from the healthy, vegan food delivery service Bowl Bar around six months ago, everyone wondered what the connection was between vegan food and Thai cuisine. “But I realised that Thai food is something that naturally leans towards vegan because of the liberal use of coconut milk in the preparations. Before it seemed as if there was no natural connection, and then suddenly there was one,” laughs Marissa Bronfman, owner of Bowl Bar.
Ashish Sajnani, co-owner of Eat Thai, was only too happy to offer Bronfman a physical space to sell her products from. “It works for both of us. Our clients get to try out her stuff, while hers get to try out ours,” says Sajnani, who believes that if he’s getting the chance to support a local start-up, then he should back it all the way. “It’s good to help someone grow their business,” adds the restaurateur who also helps retail local teas, honey and granola bars from his restaurant Le Café in Chembur. While it may not guarantee sales, what such an association offers is a visibility for the product. “For setting up any business, especially in Mumbai, getting real estate is so difficult. So to know that I have a small physical space to retail my products from is a blessing,” adds Bronfman.
For a restaurant that celebrates Indian food, Bombay Canteen’s association with home cooks Ananya Banerjee and Katy Billimoria for their pickles, only helps strengthen their positioning. The Canteen Bakery prepares mava cakes and nan khatais in-house but for the pickles, the restaurant decided to scout around for some interesting pickles being made by home chefs. “We zeroed down on these two home chefs and their pickles have been available here for two-three weeks now,” informs Chef Thomas Zacharias. While Banerjee’s dhone patar aachar and prawn kasundi are quite popular, Billimoria’s lagan nu aachar made with carrots is also garnering curiosity. “These are really good products and we’re happy to give them a platform,” adds Zacharias, who believes that eateries supporting local start ups is definitely a positive trend.
Customer satisfaction guaranteed
The customer is always the king and these restaurants believe that such collaborations and associations ultimately benefit the consumer. Imagine stepping inside an eatery and getting to choose from not just one, but two brands of foods. “It becomes a great way of giving your regulars a variety,” believes Arpana Gvalani, founder of Gostana, who, till last year, would sell food blogger Amrita Rana’s famous bacon jam from her outlet and is open to more likeminded associations.
Amlani seconds Gvalani when he says that it’s all about keeping your customers happy. “We like providing our guests with something new and fresh which they normally wouldn’t come across. Since we have guests sitting here for an hour or more, a collaboration such as the one with The Bohri Kitchen, helps us showcase some interesting foods which they may not have across till now,” he adds.
