Being in the hospitality industry for the past 23 years, Rupam Dutta was involved in the revolutionary rise of budget hotels in India as back then he was a part of Sarovar Hotels in India. Let’s hear about the maestro behind Radha Regent’s take on restaurants.
What are the 7 habits of highly successful restaurants?
- Picking up the right idea. The kind of Restaurant should be one’s primary focus.
- Finalising the target audience, age and selection of segment comes first. The menu should be based on that, not what we like.
- Calculating the investment very clearly based on a strong return plan.
- The menu plays a huge role. It’s not just about the taste matching the target audience, the pricing should have a range starting from economy to signature pricing. So that one’s not known for a random pricing.
- Three Key Investments: The first one being the selection of people – This plays the most important role for a successful restaurant. The style of service is usually designed based on the selection of the team.
- The second bit is investing in the most efficient restaurant management software, which connects to the guest relation, communication and the third investment is on the music. Selecting the right kind of music is essential. People often relate the theme of the place with the kind of music played.
- Don’t keep the same feel of the restaurant for more than three years, change everything mentioned above, including the style of service
How will technology affect the restaurant industry in the next 5 years?
Technology is already at the top of successful restaurants. There would be nothing left to connect, provide information, gather menus, making reservations simple, reaching with the right offer, making the restaurant brilliantly a discussion point.
Which, according to you, are the top 3 restaurants in India today, and why?
My first pick is Masala Library in New Delhi, followed by SET’Z (DLF Emporio Mall) again in New Delhi and the last one is Karavalli Restaurant, Taj Gateway, Bangalore.
All these restaurants own my heart for their ambience, feel, style of food, style of service and consistency. That keeps me talking about them multiple times.
