With the world still unsure of what the new normal looks like for restaurants, two powerhouses of the food industry gave us an insight into the future of restaurants. Garima Arora, chef and co-owner of Restaurant Gaa in Bangkok was joined by the force that is Prateek Sadhu, head chef and co-founder of Masque Restaurant in Mumbai, in an Instagram Live for the #ELLExTataCliQLuxuryforum series.
Presenting key takeaways from the conversation between Garima Arora and Prateek Sadhu:
Unlearning and adapting
As Prateek Sadhu dives into a delivery model for Masque, he speaks about how it’s been a process of unlearning things for him. “I felt like I was opening a new restaurant”, he explains. “With only about four people in the kitchen at Masque, we’re constantly shifting gears and adapting.”
Gaa is set to reopen in a couple of weeks. Garima understands that things will be different from how we’ve been trained to think all our lives. She believes the first step for Gaa would be to adapt price points according to the current situation, and to not only understand how her skill set can adjust but also the entire team’s.
Rebuilding confidence
When restaurants do open, the market will be altered. People will be scared to step out. “The first and the most significant task would be to rebuild confidence among the guests”, Prateek says. “Protocols in terms of safety and hygiene would have to be in place. I also believe that if I’m in good spirit, the vibe will translate. Positivity is essentially what we need right now”. Garima believes what will also work is building an experience that is inclusive.
Hospitality
“A restaurant is what they say, the last non digital experience we have. It’s so innate in human beings to get together and eat, chat and laugh, that things will change but never entirely”, Garima iterates. With this comes in the subject of what the new hospitality is going to look like. “It is the whole experience, the warmth and the hugs that I work for”, Prateek shares. “With all the masks and the distant tables, it is something to think about.”
Inventing the new normal
Garima points out that chefs never get the time to cut off from work and do nothing at home. “We’re never really on holiday because our restaurants are still running when we’re not there,” she says. Garima and Prateek get into how great it is to be able to sit back for a while and get the chance to rethink things. Garima believes it’s like a clean slate that has been given to us. “We have the opportunity to create the new normal in a critical time like this,” she says. Prateek agrees. “As human beings we’re at our creative best right now. If we’re able to look past the fear of change, this could be something positive.”
Watch the full conversation between chefs Garima Arora and Prateek Sadhu below:
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