At The Helm
![](https://static.businessworld.in/1663767939_4nl4kS_Amrut_Mehta_Director_Little_Italy_.jpg)
Name: Amrut Mehta
Designation: Director
Company: Little Italy
Age: 27
Introducing Italian cuisine to the famous Indian palate has been tried and tested by many, but very few have succeeded in such a daring endeavour. Little Italy has been spreading the warmth of Italian food in India since its inception in 1989. Over the last 30 years, the restaurant chain has truly pioneered Italian cuisine in India. With 50 outlets in four countries, it is India's largest home-grown Italian brand that brings to diners a delicious menu of pizzas, pastas, appetisers, cheeses, wines and more.
While Little Italy was started by Raj Mehta more than three decades ago, it is now being driven in a new way by Amrut Mehta. In the role of a director at Little Italy, Mehta is engaged with the restaurant chain's vision of expansion and adding more brands to its portfolio. Under his leadership, Little Italy has launched several brands, including Piazza, Acasa and Akss.
The man in charge
Even prior to taking on the role of director at Little Italy, Mehta has been actively involved with the organisation's growth story since 2011. Today, he is responsible for operations, marketing, R&D and even the conceptualisation of new dishes on Little Italy's menu, which is all vegan.
The depth in Mehta's experience comes from having had a long exposure to the hospitality and food industry through entrepreneurship stints and education in the space over the years. He has a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Administration/Management from Dubai's The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management and a BBA from Ecole Hoteliere Lavasa.
Overseas expansion
Currently, Mehta is leading Little Italy's UK expansion efforts. "We're starting with our first one in northwest London. And after that, we would be expanding to cities where there are more Indians. Many Indians in the UK love Italian cuisine and there are those who appreciate vegetarian and vegan cuisine, which we are doing now. It's a promising market," he says.
Mehta's vision for Little Italy in India is to make the brand synonymous with Italian cuisine in the upcoming years. He believes that Little Italy could go about this in a number of ways, including pushing its restaurant business to greater heights, entering the groceries segment and even pursuing deliveries. In the next few months, Little Italy would be launching unique products that would be a first for the Indian food industry.