Keeping it in the Family: From Bareilly to Delhi

Working at his family’s hotel since he was young, Raj always knew he would return to his family’s business. Today, Raj is the Director of Operations at Hotel Swarn Towers and is responsible for the company’s first F&B venture outside of Bareilly, in the highly competitive dining scene in New Delhi. He has opened the second branch of Aurum, a fine dining Indian restaurant, to cater to India’s growing appetite for new dining experiences.

 

“No matter how experienced you may be, never say ‘no’ and shoot down another person’s idea. Acknowledge the idea but highlight issues that might result if this idea were to come to fruition. Being humble and having open communications are vital to success, especially when working with family members.”

 

What is it like working for the family?
I think people often have the misconception that my future is taken care of since I work in the family business. The reality is that it takes a great deal of hard work, lots of sacrifices and business acumen to keep a business growing.

When I returned to my hometown after my studies, I had to go back to basics and learn everything about the business from scratch before being able to manage any aspect of our hotel operations. The knowledge and experience I gained at SHMS and at my various work placements definitely allowed me to develop into my role quicker.

How has your family’s business evolved since you joined?
Our hotel was already doing very well in Bareilly as it’s a small town and in the very capable hands of my father. I felt the way I could bring our family hotel business to the next level was to develop F&B outlets. So together with him, we opened the first branch of Aurum in 2010 in our hotel, which is today, still the only fine dining restaurant in Bareilly. In 2014, we launched Warehouse, a casual eatery that functions as a café by day and pub by night.

 

“My ambition was to expand our F&B business beyond our little town and truly make our mark in the dining scene in India.”

 

What made you decide to venture into New Delhi?
I was already looking at starting a business in New Delhi for several years. My initial research showed that other than luxury hotels, there was a gap in stand-alone establishments that offered Indian fine dining experiences. The majority of restaurants serving Indian cuisine were mid-ranged and had an ‘eat and go’ culture. I wanted to offer something that goes beyond just serving good food. I wanted to create an ambiance that allowed people to appreciate good food and great service and ultimately make a lasting impression that would entice them to keep coming back. I’m excited that after much hard work, research and planning I am able to finally bring this concept to New Delhi with our second branch of Aurum.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned during your time in Switzerland?
The devil is in the details. Now that I’m running a fine dining establishment, I understand why even the smallest of things matters. A simple gesture such as being aware of how you greet guests from various countries according to their cultures goes a long way in enhancing their dining experience.

Do you have anything interesting about running a F&B establishment you’d like to share?
Never do your food tastings on an empty stomach. When you’re hungry everything tastes good and this might lead you to giving a biased review of the dishes!