‘Delivery Only’ - The Success Mantra For A Sirius Hospitality
With the rollout of the vaccine and Covid numbers receding dramatically, the hospitality industry is on the road to recovery. In order to make up for the heavy damage of the last few months, most brands have had to reinvent themselves or think out of the box. The biggest challenge was faced by those with lofty plans of opening new restaurants in 2020 - some turned to cloud kitchens as a cost-effective option, and others realised the immense potential of high-quality and hygienic food delivery services.
In these trying times, only visionaries with strong backing could have taken on the risk of launching a new Hospitality business. Chef Vikramjit Roy and Anurodh Samal, all set to open the doors to their new venture – Hello Panda - were thwarted by the imposition of the lockdown. Not easily deterred, however, they decided to launch anyway, but with a twist – offering food only for delivery.
Rated the 'Chef of the Year 2014' by food critic Vir Sanghvi; 'Chef of the Year 2017' by Hotelier India; and “Chef of the Year” by the Delhi Gourmet Club; Chef Vikramjit Roy is one of the most celebrated in the country. He has 18 years of experience and a deep understanding of Asian cuisine. Chef Roy has been associated with the award-winning 'Wasabi by Morimoto' for Taj Hotels; 'Pan Asian' and 'Tian – Asian Cuisine Studio' for ITC Hotels; 'POH – Progressive Oriental House' for Speciality Restaurants and 'The Kimono Club' for White Beach Restaurants.
Anurodh Samal began his Operations career with ITC Hotels, through which he had the privilege of managing the needs of various Heads of State visiting the country at the time. He later became General Manager of Operations for successful restaurants including Whisky Samba, The Wine Company, The Wine Rack and Antares, among other well-known ventures.
Despite their experience and passion, the expansion of the collective dream shared by Chef Roy and Samal, may not have been possible without the right funding. Within two months of the launch of Hello Panda, Vir Kotak, lifestyle entrepreneur and visual artist, was on board. All it took to convince him was the conviction of their belief and the power of good food. A businessman and an industrialist, Kotak has experience in numerous industries, including a creative journey through photography, visual art and good alcohol. Kotak is best known for importing the popular pale lager Tsingtao and the bold and fruity wheat beer Schneider Weisse, to India. He also founded the brand that creates craft beers under the name Thirsty Beers, as well as the trendy light summer lager known as Happy. Kotak’s focus on the taste profile of alcohol has made him a name to reckon with in this industry. His vision of introducing high-quality, authentic and ingredient focussed beer to India, made him launch the progressive craft cocktail bar, Thirsty City 127 in Mumbai, and the speakeasy bar Remo’s.
The success of his existing ventures led to a desire for expansion into the food industry as well. He placed his faith in Hello Panda because of their impeccable quality and their well-laid out game plan focusing entirely on delivery services through the period of the pandemic., This led to a new joint venture - A Sirius Hospitality, which consisted of the original Hello Panda – the successful Asian delivery service and three new brands. These include Park Street Rolls & Biryani, paying homage to the Mughlai Cuisine of Calcutta; Meetha Kuchh, their Dessert Brand; and Ginger Garlic, offering comfort Chinese food at its best. Kotak stands by the highest level of quality offered to the customer from a long-term perspective, and believes that A Sirius Hospitality has a lot to offer with its experienced founders and the quality of its food. Currently, the operations of A Sirius Hospitality extend throughout Delhi-NCR. However, the team aims to consolidate its four brands and expand to other cities in times to come. The next big step will be opening their physical outlets, starting with the popular brand Hello Panda.
With the world rapidly returning to normalcy, it seems the team behind A Sirius Hospitality is poised for success.
