Dineout’s premium membership program, Gourmet Passport recently hosted the second edition of panel discussion ‘Let’s Talk’ in Bangalore. It offered a unique platform for stakeholders from the food, beverage and hospitality industry to understand and share their perspectives and address challenges that prevail within the industry. The discussion was moderated by Marryam H Reshii, Times Food critic: with chief Panelists Priya Bala, Times Food critic & author and Abhijit Saha, the celebrated chef and owner of Caperberry and Fava at the confluence.
The insightful discussion held at R Bar at Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel was centred around ‘The Future of dining out in India’. In light of the massive competition in the F&B industry, pertinent stakeholders also shared views around how it is essential that restaurants are Chef-run or Chef-led, why restaurants need to have elaborate culinary delights as well as intricate bar programs, fine-dining culture & food presentation and an evolving consumer demand; which is not only restricted to great food quality but excellent hospitality and exquisite ambience as well.
Speaking at the forum Mr. Rocky Mohan, Founder & Mentor at Gourmet Passport said, “Everybody is so fascinated with the F&B industry that they jump into being restaurateurs without realizing the pros and cons of running a business. Running a restaurant requires expertise in different parameters and it is probably one of the toughest industries to survive in. The current shelf life of a restaurant running successfully in a metro city is anywhere between 12-15 months and so we thought of roping in the experts to share their knowledge and insights with the audience at large.”
Panellists also addressed the challenges that are prevalent owing to the paradigm shift of eating out versus ordering in, increasing preferences of ordering at home with various apps coming up and the convenience for consumers that influences this decision.
The event was attended by renowned experts from the food, beverage and hospitality industry such as Rupa Balachander, Co-founder and CEO, The Chef Post; Rekha Ghosh, Vice President Corporate Business Head at Massive Restaurants; Reuben Kataria, General Manager, JW Marriott Bengaluru; George Kuruvilla, General Manager, Radisson Blu Atria and Vikas Seth, well-known Chef and Culinary Director at Lounge Hospitality, among others.
