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Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tuesday blues: Midweek IPL final stumps eateries and bars
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi: Bars, cafes, clubs, and restaurant chains are rolling out promotions and deals to cash in on the Indian Premier League (IPL) final, but some said Tuesday's religious customs - when many North Indians abstain from alcohol and non-vegetarian food - could put a dent in sales."Being a Tuesday, we're expecting a 35-40% increase in sales," said Zorawar Kalra, managing director of Massive Restaurants, which operates Farzi cafe and Pa Pa Ya bistro and bar. "Had it been some other day, we would have hoped for a higher increase."Chief of a pan-India resto-bar said, "Not only is it a Tuesday, but also one of the finalist teams has a large North Indian fan base. While a weekend IPL final draws up to 100% increase in sales, we are hoping it's not too much of a dampener because of the Tuesday factor."Punjab Kings will play Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Tuesday's IPL final. Whoever wins will be lifting the trophy for the first at most chains remain confident that there would be a significant surge in dine-ins on Tuesday. "We are seeing encouraging advance bookings and are expecting Tuesday to be like a weekend, with a 35-40% increase in dine-in sales as opposed to a regular weekday," said Vikrant Batra, founder of Cafe Delhi Heights This is only the fourth IPL T20 tournament in 18 years when the final is not on a cricketing event was suspended for about a week midway on account of the India-Pakistan border tensions. The final was originally scheduled for May 25, a Sukhija, chief executive of First Fiddle Restaurants that operates Thanks & Beyond, Lord of the Drinks and Diablo among others, expects around 200% uptick in sales compared to a regular Tuesday, which is usually slow."Yes, there are people who abstain from non-vegetarian food on a Tuesday, but most people drink," he said. "And we are expecting big numbers considering it's the IPL final."Sukhija said his outlets are installing big screens in high-footfall zones such as Connaught Place and Aerocity in Sukhi, founder of The Bluebop Cafe in Mumbai, said she is anticipating a 30% surge in sales with a series of consumer commerce platforms, on their part, are running deals for traction from consumers watching the match from their homes or office late nights. Swiggy 's 10-minute food delivery app Snacc, for example, has sent out mailers to its subscribers for 'flash sales' on the match day.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Mamma Killa is Delhi's first Aztec members-only bar
There is a certain enigma that Mehrauli in Delhi boasts. The centre point of the neighbourhood is the towering Qutub Minar, around which exists a civilisation of fine dining restaurants, bars, and designer boutiques. Amid this ancient-meets-modern setting, India's first Aztec bar — Mamma Killa — has opened up, inviting intrigue and curiosity for its members-only policy. True to its name, the 35-cover space (above fine dining restaurant, Swan) channels the mysticism of the 'mother of moon' in its décor, cocktail and food. 'A story born in the 16th century — where Incan rituals collided with Asian rhythms', reads the cocktail menu. A passion project by restaurateur Zorawar Kalra — founder of Massive Restaurants that has Farzi Café, Pa Pa Ya, and Masala Library under its ambit — Mamma Killa is nothing like Delhi has ever seen. A flight of stairs (through Swan) takes you to a 'secret space' á la speakeasies, where the vibe is laid back yet chic, elite yet inclusive, with enough privacy. 'The goal was simple. We wanted to build an exclusive space for people in Delhi who are adding value to the artistic and cultural fabric of the city. There is no membership fee but we decide who comes,' explains Zorawar. A rigorous process drives the selection of the members, and the number currently stands at about 100. Those who are interested could send a DM to Mamma Killa's Instagram account (which is private) or fill up a form on its official website. Once all the details are received, Zorawar and his wife, Dildeep Kalra, along with senior staff, go through the applications and decide who gets to be a part of this sanctuary. 'We plan to build a panel to review these applications. It will have people across all walks of life, be it a 25-year-old startup entrepreneur, a 30-year-old fashionista, or someone influential from the food and beverage space,' he adds. Members can only enter the 'secret space' using a physical black-and-gold membership card. They also have the advantage of bringing friends and family along, or reserving tables for others using their membership details. Zorawar gives me a sneak peek into the invitation kit, which has a shot measure, chocolates, a scented candle and diary (besides the membership card) to welcome guests to the Mamma Killa family. Once you are a part of the coterie, a curated experience awaits you. The cocktails put together by bar manager Suvrat Mahindroo, are all about 'drinking what you eat'. For instance, there is Pizza-ila with pesto-washed tequila, tomato and basil, which was garnished with maple charred cherry tomato. Pachamanca is another tequila drink with a marigold infusion, clarified with apricot and peach milk. It is topped with in-house chrysanthemum soda. Two of my favourite drinks from the menu are Ceviche and Milky Way (when whisky is not even my spirit of choice). The former has a mix of tequila and mezcal for a smoky flavour while the leches de tigre (citrus based marinade) used for clarification added to its authenticity. The Milky Way was a surprise. The velvety whisky-based cocktail, inspired by the dessert tiramisu, has shiitake mushroom and tiramisu cordial as its primary ingredients. It comes with a homemade truffle chocolate with notes of coffee, orange and truffle oil. But the show stealer is the Guéridon Cocktail Trolley that Suvrat calls a 'reverse Omakase concept'. Guests can pick between four elixirs: Orange-Vetiver, Palo Santo-Bee Pollen, Banana-Fig, and Lotus Biscoff-Caramel and their spirit of choice, besides the glassware and garnish like tobico, house pickle or caramelised citrus. The food menu is small but clever. It has sushi, tacos, appetisers, and pide (Turkish flatbread) to nibble on with drinks. Some standout dishes include Black Mango Maki, Tamago Maki, Tori Karage with Avocado Mash tacos, Tropical Prawn Robata and Comfort Wings sous vide in Coca Cola. While the food, drinks and the ambiance make for Instagrammable frames, Mamma Killa has a no-photo policy that members must abide by.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cooking up a storm: Rapido's foray into food delivery will be a game changer, say industry experts
The National Restaurant Association of India ( NRAI ) emphasised the importance of alternative aggregator platforms for food delivery in creating a level playing field on Wednesday, asserting that this could foster a more supportive ecosystem for all stakeholders. Internal discussions within the industry indicate that ride-hailing platform Rapido is being billed as a strong 'third alternative' to challenge the duopoly of food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy . Top sources in the know told ET Digital that Rapido aims to foray into the food delivery market by July, either in Delhi-NCR or Bengaluru. 'There is a lot of movement going on with Rapido. It is working on a model where commission costs will be low. It could even be a subscription model,' the source said. What's cooking? According to industry experts, this development could signal change for the sector, noting that Rapido has a genuine opportunity to emerge as a third entrant. 'The advantage that it (Rapido) will get to the whole ecosystem will be lower and more democratic permissions—and that could be a game changer. It is a free market in India, and as a result, if a new player comes, that can cause a disruption,' Zorawar Kalra , the Founder and MD of Massive Restaurants, which runs chains like Farzi Café and Masala Library, told ET Digital on the sidelines of the NRAI Food Delivery Summit in the capital. Kalra also noted that having more entrants in this market is always good due to the industry's dynamic nature. In response to the government-supported network, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), currently being in 'pause' mode, Kalra stated that discussions are ongoing. 'It's definitely not eliminated from the scene,' he said. 'There are certain challenges on both sides, vis-à-vis the ecosystem. But I think they are all surmountable challenges and not insurmountable in scope. As a result, there is this dialogue via the ongoing summit, and at this point in time, it is probably not going to yield any immediate resolution,' he added. In January, NRAI had explored the possibility of onboarding member restaurants onto the ONDC platform to counter the dominance of Zomato and Swiggy. However, these plans have now come to a standstill due to the top-level reshuffle at ONDC. 'At the moment, we want to align with the new leadership at ONDC. We will only proceed further once we have the structures in place. Till then, we will keep it on hold, but we are scheduled to have a meeting with them in May. It will give us more clarity on the future of our working relationship with them,' NRAI President Sagar Daryani stated. In April, ONDC MD and CEO Thampy Koshy resigned, citing personal reasons. His exit had been preceded by the departure of ONDC's Chief Business Officer, Shireesh Joshi ,who quit after 3.5 years at the organisation. The 20-minute game Food delivery revolves around timing. Consumers want quicker delivery. While retail democratisation is a great idea, it comes down to a 20-minute play in the food sector, said Ashish Tulsian , Co-founder & CEO of restaurant management platform Restroworks. 'So, if everyone—order buyer, order receiver, restaurants and logistics players—is disjointed then it is difficult to understand who is owning the responsibility towards the customers. The platform hasn't picked up only since owning responsibility in that network is not very well-defined and it has not got good customer feedback. Unless someone owns it, it won't work,' he stated. He added that while aggregators Zomato and Swiggy are very important from a customer perspective, the duopoly is not helping restaurants on the business front. 'It has changed the entire margin profile of restaurants. Up until 7-8 years back, restaurants used to be at 70-75 per cent gross margins and 20-25 per cent net business. Today it is down to 5 per cent because 20-25 per cent goes towards commission, logistics, and packaging costs that have come up. So, there will be alternatives that come up just organically in the market,' he said. Regarding the buzz about Rapido making a foray into food delivery, Tulsian said that 'this is inevitable' in the times ahead. 'A very important ingredient in becoming a successful third platform is logistics, so whoever owns logistics has a great shot at it. Whether they will succeed or not is another story, but this factor contributes towards them being a significant contender,' he explained. Some in the industry propose a model resembling a service-based platform that manages the end-to-end delivery process. Amit Bagga , Co-founder & CEO of Daryaganj Restaurant , emphasised that the need of the hour is to find someone who is very strong in logistics and can give proper visibility as far as last-mile logistics is concerned. 'The customer will not suffer in such a scenario if a reliable player takes it up. There could be two parts to it. One is creating the demand, and the other is logistics. If it is a logistics platform, it could be a service-based approach to the restaurant, where we can pay for every order chosen as a logistics service,' he said. Bagga noted that the maximum orders come between 8 and 10 pm, with a noticeable surge during that time frame. 'So, if I am aiming to do 10-15 orders at one point of time, I will not have that many riders. So, the logistics player can ensure that the orders generated get delivered, obviously at a price. And it could be that in those three hours, people could be charging a higher price compared to what they charge normally. But then it makes sense, as we just need the extra people for those hours and not the entire day. This cannot be done by us, so a strong logistics player who takes up the end-to-end management in a seamless manner to the guest will stand out,' he explained. Fair marketplace Independent experts reason that alternate food aggregators can serve as a catalyst for change in the prevailing duopoly of the food distribution market. 'They can act as a control checkpoint for platform providers from dominating the market with respect to high commission and limited bargaining power for restaurant owners,' Arun Moral, MD of Primus Partners India, said. He added that a level playing field can be ensured by promoting hyperlocal and niche discoverability, which will support smaller or regional F&B brands. 'Alternatives can act as pseudo regulators and marketing-correcting agents and ensure equilibrium across restaurant owners, industry associations, consumers, and regulators. This shift could lead to a more democratised food delivery space, giving power back to restaurants and consumers while maintaining a fair marketplace,' Moral said.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Cooking up a storm: Rapido's foray into food delivery will be a game changer, say industry experts
The National Restaurant Association of India ( NRAI ) emphasised the importance of alternative aggregator platforms for food delivery in creating a level playing field on Wednesday, asserting that this could foster a more supportive ecosystem for all stakeholders. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack A Chinese shadow falls on Pahalgam terror attack case probe How India can use water to pressure Pakistan Buzzkill: How India can dissolve the Pakistan problem, not just swat it Internal discussions within the industry indicate that ride-hailing platform Rapido is being billed as a strong 'third alternative' to challenge the duopoly of food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy . Top sources in the know told ET Digital that Rapido aims to foray into the food delivery market by July, either in Delhi-NCR or Bengaluru. 'There is a lot of movement going on with Rapido. It is working on a model where commission costs will be low. It could even be a subscription model,' the source said. What's cooking? Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. According to industry experts, this development could signal change for the sector, noting that Rapido has a genuine opportunity to emerge as a third entrant. 'The advantage that it (Rapido) will get to the whole ecosystem will be lower and more democratic permissions—and that could be a game changer. It is a free market in India, and as a result, if a new player comes, that can cause a disruption,' Zorawar Kalra , the Founder and MD of Massive Restaurants, which runs chains like Farzi Café and Masala Library, told ET Digital on the sidelines of the NRAI Food Delivery Summit in the capital. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Salaried Employees In DELHI Get ₹2 Crore Life Cover at Just ₹876/Month Best Term Insurance! Click Here Undo Kalra also noted that having more entrants in this market is always good due to the industry's dynamic nature. In response to the government-supported network, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), currently being in 'pause' mode, Kalra stated that discussions are ongoing. 'It's definitely not eliminated from the scene,' he said. 'There are certain challenges on both sides, vis-à-vis the ecosystem. But I think they are all surmountable challenges and not insurmountable in scope. As a result, there is this dialogue via the ongoing summit, and at this point in time, it is probably not going to yield any immediate resolution,' he added. In January, NRAI had explored the possibility of onboarding member restaurants onto the ONDC platform to counter the dominance of Zomato and Swiggy. However, these plans have now come to a standstill due to the top-level reshuffle at ONDC. 'At the moment, we want to align with the new leadership at ONDC. We will only proceed further once we have the structures in place. Till then, we will keep it on hold, but we are scheduled to have a meeting with them in May. It will give us more clarity on the future of our working relationship with them,' NRAI President Sagar Daryani stated. Live Events In April, ONDC MD and CEO Thampy Koshy resigned, citing personal reasons. His exit had been preceded by the departure of ONDC's Chief Business Officer, Shireesh Joshi ,who quit after 3.5 years at the organisation. The 20-minute game Food delivery revolves around timing. Consumers want quicker delivery. While retail democratisation is a great idea, it comes down to a 20-minute play in the food sector, said Ashish Tulsian , Co-founder & CEO of restaurant management platform Restroworks. 'So, if everyone—order buyer, order receiver, restaurants and logistics players—is disjointed then it is difficult to understand who is owning the responsibility towards the customers. The platform hasn't picked up only since owning responsibility in that network is not very well-defined and it has not got good customer feedback. Unless someone owns it, it won't work,' he stated. He added that while aggregators Zomato and Swiggy are very important from a customer perspective, the duopoly is not helping restaurants on the business front. 'It has changed the entire margin profile of restaurants. Up until 7-8 years back, restaurants used to be at 70-75% gross margins and 20-25% net business. Today it is down to 5% because 20-25% goes towards commission, logistics, and packaging costs that have come up. So, there will be alternatives that come up just organically in the market,' he said. Regarding the buzz about Rapido making a foray into food delivery, Tulsian said that 'this is inevitable' in the times ahead. 'A very important ingredient in becoming a successful third platform is logistics, so whoever owns logistics has a great shot at it. Whether they will succeed or not is another story, but this factor contributes towards them being a significant contender,' he explained. Some in the industry propose a model resembling a service-based platform that manages the end-to-end delivery process. Amit Bagga , Co-founder & CEO of Daryaganj Restaurant , emphasised that the need of the hour is to find someone who is very strong in logistics and can give proper visibility as far as last-mile logistics is concerned. 'The customer will not suffer in such a scenario if a reliable player takes it up. There could be two parts to it. One is creating the demand, and the other is logistics. If it is a logistics platform, it could be a service-based approach to the restaurant, where we can pay for every order chosen as a logistics service,' he said. Bagga noted that the maximum orders come between 8 and 10 pm, with a noticeable surge during that time frame. 'So, if I am aiming to do 10-15 orders at one point of time, I will not have that many riders. So, the logistics player can ensure that the orders generated get delivered, obviously at a price. And it could be that in those three hours, people could be charging a higher price compared to what they charge normally. But then it makes sense, as we just need the extra people for those hours and not the entire day. This cannot be done by us, so a strong logistics player who takes up the end-to-end management in a seamless manner to the guest will stand out,' he explained. Fair marketplace Independent experts reason that alternate food aggregators can serve as a catalyst for change in the prevailing duopoly of the food distribution market. 'They can act as a control checkpoint for platform providers from dominating the market with respect to high commission and limited bargaining power for restaurant owners,' Arun Moral, MD of Primus Partners India, said. He added that a level playing field can be ensured by promoting hyperlocal and niche discoverability, which will support smaller or regional F&B brands. 'Alternatives can act as pseudo regulators and marketing-correcting agents and ensure equilibrium across restaurant owners, industry associations, consumers, and regulators. This shift could lead to a more democratised food delivery space, giving power back to restaurants and consumers while maintaining a fair marketplace,' Moral said.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India's restaurant sector has potential to provide 1.5 cr jobs by 2028 given "right impetus": NRAI
India's restaurant sector has the potential to provide employment to 1.5 crore people by 2028, from 85 lakh at present, provided it gets the "right impetus" from the government including an 'industry' status and benefit of input tax credit on GST, National Restaurant Association of India's ( NRAI ) Vice President Zorawar Kalra said on Wednesday. The NRAI claims to represent 5 lakh restaurants across the country. The association has been at loggerheads with food delivery aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato primarily over the aggregators' foray into the quick-commerce space with their own private-label brands, arguing this move undermines fair competition and harms independent restaurants. "We don't have a separate industry status, that would be a big positive move, as it would give us a voice," Kalra told PTI. The NRAI Vice President, who is also the Founder and Managing Director of Massive Restaurants Pvt. Ltd, described the lack of input tax credit on GST as a "major issue" faced by the country's restaurant industry, expressing hope that the issue will be taken up as the Association was in talks with the "right people". Under the prevailing Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework, restaurants fall under the 5 per cent GST rate, with no option to claim input tax credit (ITC) or the 18 per cent GST rate, with ITC claims. The Delhi High Court has set May 9 as the date to hear pleas of restaurant bodies including the NRAI and Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India challenging an order against the mandatory levying of service charge on food bills. Asked about the service charge issue, Kalra refrained from commenting saying the matter was subjudice. He, however, argued that the service charge levy was a globally "accepted norm" and it is "fully optional". "So if you're unhappy with somebody's service, you can choose to remove it. So that was always the case. It was never forced, it was never mandatory, it was always optional," the NRAI Vice President said. Kalra emphasised that there has to be more dialogue between the industry and the aggregators. "The aggregators' are doing some moves that are beneficial for the industry, and sometimes some moves happen that are perhaps not in the best interest of the industry, or, you know, all members of the of the equation, all aspects of the equation. So I think there's more dialogue required. They have to understand the trials and tribulations of the industry". He further expressed hope that the issues with the aggregators' will be resolved in an amicable manner that helps the restaurant industry, arguing that the industry is the one that is feeding the platforms. Kalra said provided the restaurant industry get the right tools and resources to grow including an 'industry' status, provision of ITC on GST, and resolution of issues with the food delivery aggregators and the service charge levy, it can provide jobs to 1.5 crore people by 2028. "... It also means that the employment, which is currently at 85 lakh, will go up to, in my opinion, if all of this happens, will be 50 per cent higher by 2028, than what we are predicting currently. Currently, it's predicted to be 1 crore. I think it'll be 1.5 crore," the NRAI Vice President said.
