Pandemic To G-20 Boost, HoReCa Sector Experiencing Alot
The hospitality sector has really made a commendable journey right from being in a dormant state during a pandemic to a booming industry after that. The sector has multiple stakeholders involved as customers, owners, service staff etc. The pandemic has stunned the whole industry as demand in the sector depleted to a severe level, but the post-pandemic time gave a really good time to every stakeholder, especially the owners.
From amplification in demands in the HoReCa sector to new rolled policies, the business entities are experiencing a lot. Talking about the same, Rohit Malhotra - Jay Jay & Kwality Restaurants shares his inputs related to the industry.
Excerpt :
The hospitality industry has gone through the pandemic era, how was your experience throughout that period?
We signed with Playboy during the pandemic. But couldn’t launch due to uncertainty in many aspects including footfall, personal loss, financial loss and mental stress. We assumed that it may take some time for the economy and individuals to come out of this horrific time. Hence, we kept expansion on hold. We opened our first store in July 2022. The market is towards an upward trend.
How do you see your business doing distinct from other business entities?
First of all, we are representing one of the world’s biggest brands in this space. Nightlife and clubs. The Playboy bunny /rabbit head logo is one of the most recognised logos in the world. Which makes us stand out from anyone in a similar space. In most of the new places open people don’t know what they will expect from them. But when they visit us they have certain expectations. Playboy has a legacy and history of 70 glorious years. We keep our standards very high to meet customer expectations.
Delhi recently hosted the mega event G-20, how do you see that reviving the sector?
The G20 summit in India has significantly boosted the hospitality sector, with a surge in tourists flocking and hotel bookings. This trend is expected to amplify in the future, solidifying India's reputation as a global destination.
There is a tussle noticed between customers and restaurant service providers over the removal of service charges, What are your views on the matter?
The payment of service charges at restaurants should always be voluntary and at the consumer's discretion. It's disheartening to see many establishments automatically add this charge to the bill, taking away the choice from our valued patrons.
Can you talk about your approach to customer service and their satisfaction?
Our prime goal is customer satisfaction. For that, we work on many different aspects. Latest and trending food menu and beverage menu offerings. Comfortable interiors and fascinating interiors, customer service – Customer is the King approach, customised dishes & events and programming to keep customers engaged.
What are your plans for the expansion in the coming year?
We got tremendous response from our existing outlets. Which is very encouraging. We are focusing on expansion across all major cities Tier 1 & 2. We are currently building our stores in Bangalore (two stores) and Kolkata beside that we have secured locations in Noida and Mohali. We are also scouting locations to enter
Chennai, Goa and a few other tier 2 cities. We have a target to open 3-4 stores by the end of this year. And an additional 6-8 stores next year. We are launching our new format café & bar which will help us to expand faster.
