VN Dalmia Treads Restaurant Turf

Anindita Chattopadhyay - New Delhi

In what may be seen as an effort to diversify into fast growing business with bright prospects, the VN Dalmia Group, which has business interests in tourism (Sunshine Tourism Services) and imports (Dalmia Continental), has ventured into the restaurant sector. The Rs 30 crore group has formed a division called D&A Hospitality in partnership with Param Vir Anand, a restaurateur and ex-Welcomgroup general manager. D&A Hospitality launched its maiden restaurant Filmi Masala at DT Mall in Gurgaon for an investment of Rs 1.5 crore.

"The sector is booming. A recent survey said there's demand for 6,000 restaurants in the Delhi metro area. Not only are the terms of business favourable, the profit margin is also very high. Naturally it makes good business sense to invest in this sector," said VN Dalmia, chairman of the group, commenting on his new initiative.

The group, he pointed out, has plans to open two more restaurants in the Delhi metro area - one in Noida and one in west Delhi, but only once they have established the first outlet and broken even. Anand and Dalmia are confident of breaking even within a year and a half because the heavy mall traffic and cinema traffic would ensure steady flow of guests.

The 70-seater theme restaurant with a bar is being positioned as a casual dining restaurant. Virtually everything, from décor, place mats, coasters to channel music and even names of the dishes, are a spoof on Bollywood. All around there are design details that amuse and arrest - the whole effect makes it a fun and funky place. The bright red, black interior coupled with sparkling glass-and-ribbon drapes and filmi posters on the wall gives the look of a kitsch exhibition. The three parts posters of stars like Aishwarya and Salman leave you in spilts when you mix and match the torso and limbs. The floor is a style statement in itself - dazzling black Italian terrazzo splashed with bursts of white flowers. The table surfaces are bright glossy melamine matched with comfortable chairs upholstered in ethnic shotsilk. The mood lighting (circular and focus beams with an Italian dimming system) can create upto 18 different variations.

In case one wants intimacy, the table can be separated from the next with sequinned oh-so-gaudy sheers. The menu loosely resembles a clapboard. It amusingly incorporates popular filmi references in both the titles and description of dishes - such as Naan Patekar, Jal Bin Machhli, Juhi Chaawal and so on.

However, The USP of this place is that focus is on health and all dishes are cooked in olive oil. Ask Dalmia about the normal perception that olive oil fails to bring out the taste and aroma of Indian dishes and pat comes the reply, "It's a wrong perception. It occurred because Indians always tried to cook in extra virgin olive oil, instead of olive pomace oil, which is the cooking grade oil. Pomace oil is a neutral oil and you can fry, or roast and the taste will be the same."

The food may not be out of the world, but is tasty. The menu is mainly north Indian with a sprinkling from other regions of the country. The American Desi, a sizzler of chicken breast stuffed with cottage cheese, scrumptious. Dalmia has already chalked out a Rs 20 lakh year-long promotional plan. "We have tied up with DT Cinema for a joint promotion whereby ticket holders will get discount on food and restaurant guests discount on movie tickets. We will also arrange events like cassette release. There will be ad campaigns run on FM channels and in the print media, apart from point of sale material all over the mall and banners in the neighbourhood promoting the restaurant."