How This Garment Manufacturer Made Big in F&B

Dinesh Arora was involved in family’s garment business for 14 years before realizing the scope F&B industry holds. “Grossing revenue figures from booming F&B industry globally gave me an idea about restaurant business,” Arora explains. He started as a novice with a very little idea about the industry. “Only thing I knew was I had to think different,” he says. Unaware about the industry rules, he put in a lot of research for the first six months. He focused on creating a brand and how to put that brand in the market. “I think this strategy has helped in overcoming most obstacles and making a name in the market,” he adds. And, the only source of training he had was the friends and few family members who were already in the industry.

Riding on Success

The brand currently owns four properties which include pubs, clubs, bars and lounges namely Unplugged Courtyard, an open courtyard serving modern Indian cuisine, Bombay Bar, a throwback to the charm of Mumbai’s retro era, in Connaught Place, Tourist Janpath, a food bar for the free-spirited, laid back, edgy travellers at Janpath, and Lights Camera Action, a roof top terrace restaurant with a Bollywood inspired theme in Rajouri Garden. “Since then there have been many wow moments. The best would be getting Unplugged Courtyard inaugurated by Shahrukh Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon” he adds.

Innovation is the Key

To keep up with the pace, the group keeps innovating its menu, creating festive ambiance and celebrations every few weeks. Moreover, they keep on taking feedback from the guests about food, interiors, services and even the music. Arora says apart from owning one, he always wanted to design a restaurant and with Bombay Bar he got the chance to take care of each tiny detail. “Starting right from the type of furniture, the kind of curtains, the lighting, the décor, I designed and curated everything with my team of chefs and designers,” Arora smiles. He has two new restaurants coming in next few months in Delhi. Swad Desh Videsh ka, a pure-veg fast casual restaurant, will be opened in Nehru Place and Bombay Bar in Rajouri Garden. Adding to this, the group wants to take Unplugged Courtyard brand to all major Indian cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad in the coming months.