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Kamlesh Barot’s Rajdhani, an unlimited Gujrati cuisine restaurant is one of the most ubiquitous names in Mumbai. There are now 18 Gujarati thali restaurants and snacklets, or snack outlets, across Mumbai, run by the Barot family. They have 20 more outlets in other parts of India, and one in Dubai. It was also the first air-conditioned thali restaurant in Mumbai to serve unlimited authentic Gujarati cuisine.
Kamlesh Barot’s Rajdhani, an unlimited Gujrati cuisine restaurant is one of the most ubiquitous names in Mumbai. There are now 18 Gujarati thali restaurants and snacklets, or snack outlets, across Mumbai, run by the Barot family. They have 20 more outlets in other parts of India, and one in Dubai. It was also the first air-conditioned thali restaurant in Mumbai to serve unlimited authentic Gujarati cuisine.
Business
Mr. Barot changed menu items daily, to focus on nutrition, see colour combinations and the cuts of vegetables and approach menus scientifically. Little wonder then, that in the days when a thali cost Rs 5, Rajdhani rid you of Rs 15. It was a price many were willing to pay to savour an exceptional variety of food in a presentable setting.
The Barot family has used JJ School of Art students to create ethnic interiors, coming up with a cyclical menu showcasing seasonal vegetable dishes, introducing Maharashtrian and Rajasthani items, and in 2001, ushering in the concept of the silver utsav thali, which became extremely popular among celebrities and industrialists, such as Shabana Azmi, Parvez Damania, and Anil and Nita Ambani, whose names the restaurant began inscribing on the plates.
They also introduced Rajdhani "snacklets", which are self-service outlets offering items from Rajdhani's thali. Goenka's finances and sharp business acumen coupled with Barot's professional expertise and dynamic vision has seen the chain expand rapidly.
Mr. Barot changed menu items daily, to focus on nutrition, see colour combinations and the cuts of vegetables and approach menus scientifically. Little wonder then, that in the days when a thali cost Rs 5, Rajdhani rid you of Rs 15. It was a price many were willing to pay to savour an exceptional variety of food in a presentable setting.
The Barot family has used JJ School of Art students to create ethnic interiors, coming up with a cyclical menu showcasing seasonal vegetable dishes, introducing Maharashtrian and Rajasthani items, and in 2001, ushering in the concept of the silver utsav thali, which became extremely popular among celebrities and industrialists, such as Shabana Azmi, Parvez Damania, and Anil and Nita Ambani, whose names the restaurant began inscribing on the plates.
They also introduced Rajdhani "snacklets", which are self-service outlets offering items from Rajdhani's thali. Goenka's finances and sharp business acumen coupled with Barot's professional expertise and dynamic vision has seen the chain expand rapidly.
Innovations
Maintaining consistency in food and service in 40 outlets sounds daunting, but Rajdhani has a well-oiled system, overseen from the chain's head office in Lower Parel. Every month, a detailed menu is emailed to all chefs and they all meet on the 25th of every month to ask the head chef questions before the menu is rolled out. Most chefs are hired from Rajasthan, who Barot thinks, are adept in handling both Rajasthani and Gujrati cuisine. From the 1,750 employees under Encore at least 60 to 70 per cent are have been nurtured and trained within Rajdhani. Apart from the corporate office's quality control team that regularly visits all outlets, Rajdhani's customers, too, serve as watchdogs. "We are perhaps the only restaurant to have a large sign welcoming guests into the kitchen," said Barot. "This enhances customer service and forces chefs to be hygiene and maintain decorum."
Success
Within two years of its makeover, the modest 1,000-square-feet restaurant thriving in the congested chaos of Crawford Market was listed in the Lonely Planet, a rare achievement for a local Mumbai eatery serving purely regional cuisine. After hours of treacherous navigation through crowded market streets, foreigners sought Rajdhani out to revive their parched throats with the signature-smoked chhaas, strongly recommended by their indispensable city guide.
Today, Rajdhani serves its trademark thalis in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Nagpur, Baroda, Jaipur and Dubai, the last of which is soon set to become its most profitable outlet.
Maintaining consistency in food and service in 40 outlets sounds daunting, but Rajdhani has a well-oiled system, overseen from the chain's head office in Lower Parel. Every month, a detailed menu is emailed to all chefs and they all meet on the 25th of every month to ask the head chef questions before the menu is rolled out. Most chefs are hired from Rajasthan, who Barot thinks, are adept in handling both Rajasthani and Gujrati cuisine. From the 1,750 employees under Encore at least 60 to 70 per cent are have been nurtured and trained within Rajdhani. Apart from the corporate office's quality control team that regularly visits all outlets, Rajdhani's customers, too, serve as watchdogs. "We are perhaps the only restaurant to have a large sign welcoming guests into the kitchen," said Barot. "This enhances customer service and forces chefs to be hygiene and maintain decorum."
Success
Within two years of its makeover, the modest 1,000-square-feet restaurant thriving in the congested chaos of Crawford Market was listed in the Lonely Planet, a rare achievement for a local Mumbai eatery serving purely regional cuisine. After hours of treacherous navigation through crowded market streets, foreigners sought Rajdhani out to revive their parched throats with the signature-smoked chhaas, strongly recommended by their indispensable city guide.
Today, Rajdhani serves its trademark thalis in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Nagpur, Baroda, Jaipur and Dubai, the last of which is soon set to become its most profitable outlet.
Future
Barot dismissed talk of competition without arrogance. "There are a dozen one-off Gujarati thali joints, but no one comes close to us in terms of numbers, staffing, turnover, seating capacity and brand recall." He admitted though that the chain's expansion was threatened by the influx of fast-food eateries such as McDonalds and pizzerias. To overcome this challenge, Barot simply knocked off the idea of ordering from a menu. "The moment a guest enters, we start serving," he explained. "You can finish your meal in 20 minutes. We became faster than fast food." They were thus able to capture professionals who preferred nutritious homely food to junk.
Barot dismissed talk of competition without arrogance. "There are a dozen one-off Gujarati thali joints, but no one comes close to us in terms of numbers, staffing, turnover, seating capacity and brand recall." He admitted though that the chain's expansion was threatened by the influx of fast-food eateries such as McDonalds and pizzerias. To overcome this challenge, Barot simply knocked off the idea of ordering from a menu. "The moment a guest enters, we start serving," he explained. "You can finish your meal in 20 minutes. We became faster than fast food." They were thus able to capture professionals who preferred nutritious homely food to junk.
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