A seasoned leader in managing established business as well as developing start-ups units, Kushagra is highly guest insight driven, analytical by nature and has a meticulous eye for detail in a nut-shell. Holding over 20 years of experience, he has been associated with top-notch organizations like Taj, Hyatt, Alchemist Ltd, Planet Hollywood, Shada Housing and many others.

Last night my older son face-timed me at night (because I currently live in Mumbai, and my family is in Delhi) and said ‘Dad, you have been this, you have done that, and much more’. He was sounding like Wikipedia on me, all to do with my professional life. He is 13 and he learned about my professional life from Google and pieced it together. ‘Why are you not running your own business, your own restaurants?’ There was genuine eagerness in his voice. ‘Dad, what does it take to succeed in your line of work?’ he inquired. ‘I will discuss with you when I get home in a couple of weeks’, is what I left him with.

Then I sat back and pondered over every question, the depth behind them (my son wanted to know why we had stayed apart as a family) and did a little introspection on them and my professional journey. I have realized in the 22+ odd years of a professional working life owning more than 12 restaurants, bars & clubs, and opening more than 40 odd projects (both standalone & hotel), working long hours, spending years away from the family as a youngster and then seeing your kids growing up through video chats as you get older, tireless hours, lots of spectacularly successful projects and equally spectacular failures; that there is no magic formula, it’s frustrating trying to figure out the key to success, as it just doesn't seem to exist. The reason for it is that, the definition and relevance of success is broken, there is no uniform definition for it, because there are so many facets to it, but mostly it is so intrinsic and yet the whole world makes it really about materialistic achievements. Then, to make it complicated our own vision of success keeps changing as time goes by, and of course the way the world sees our success; most of the times we allow it to dictate our achievements in life. In the restaurant business –‘You either make it, or you fail.’ Most fail, and yet there's never a common pattern to it. Sure, there are precautions you can take to ensure you are avoiding all of the common mistakes but in the end it's not up to you whether your restaurant is a success, we may believe so, but it is only a small part. The point that I am trying to make is that, success in restaurants is unobtainable through will, meaning that you can just open a place and will it to be successful. However, that being said, it is important to plan for success & to be successful, and in order to do that - develop some core values, the essential principles behind which the entire business will stand, and stick to them. My three pillars of success that have always worked for me and have pulled me out of enough holes are -Integrity, Efficiency and Consistency.

This must reflect in your personality, behavior, business, and your entire staff has to truly believe in them as well. Be good, bloody good at three to four things, better than anyone else. One of the most common problems, we all see with restaurants these days can always be attributed to them trying to specialize in too many things, all at once. It's so easy ‘well, no one likes my burgers, I guess I'll add a few baos. Oh! There are vegetarians? Ok let's add a paneer version of the dish. Vegan is becoming the rage, let’s do coconut milk ice creams? Yeah let's add that too, gluten free? Sure let's do it all!’ And, in an instant one has become some weird beast with multiple heads, when all one wanted to do was open a great burger joint.

A TIP: We will not be able to and we can never please everyone. Don't even try it.
At this point it is always important to remember (and don’t be afraid) – ‘In the end, everyone fails at some point, no one has a 100 percent track record of success, no one. All we can hope for is that we do & did everything we could have to prevent it. And, if we are lucky we will get another chance. If one is really super lucky, one will have already had one successful business that can prop one up until your next endeavor. Either way, one will not know about this business, if one doesn’t try.’ There are many great leaders, pioneers, visionaries, path breakers & stalwarts in the restaurant industry, the world over and they all have their own tips for success. Some that I tried to combine, which I feel are a common thread to most, are --

1. Create a culture: A culture that is fair to all guests,owners and employees.

2. Corporate culture matters: Acknowledge staff; let them know you appreciate their work, ask for feedback so they feel included and offer incentives when you can.

3. Give your team a chance to shine:Too often talent is wasted in too many corporate layers of approval, insecurities of senior management, and others. Look around; we are not the only one with talent, allow the people running the show to make decisions and to come up with solutions.

4. Look after your guests, always:It takes great effort to create a culture where the guests come first. Too often managers get caught in their daily clerical duties, instead of being focused on what is going on in the restaurant during meal periods. I remember an instance when I was all of 23, a young restaurant manager working at Grand Hyatt, Delhi, when I sent an e-mail to my F&B Manager at 12:45 p.m. His answer was short and to the point - ‘Why aren't you in the restaurant looking after our guests having lunch?’ It was a turning point in my career, and it shaped my future, and many such learnings have helped shape my life.

5. Finally the most important aspect in the business is to remain relevant:Boredom is the number one enemy in business. Creating different experiences for guests will also keep the team engaged and enthusiastic about you. Why??? Because, this industry is so dynamic and the ability to deliver a message, life on insta & social media relevance, ownership changes, ever-changing styles, general public awareness and how quickly one can go up or down. And then, there is always a new kid on the block who is there to gun you down with their offerings. Therefore, you got to stay relevant with time, styles, trends and, above all invest in yourself and your team to stay ahead of the curve.

It is important to plan for success & to be successful, and in order to do that - develop some core values, the essential principles behind which the entire business will stand, and stick to them

So, the final question is, have I been successful in the corporate world, as an entrepreneur, am I an industry leader? Well, I really don’t know. How the industry and people judge me, it is upto them, and it is their barometer and scales of measurement that confines or slots me into their definition. But, have I put smiles on my guest’s faces? Have people had memorable experiences? Do people remember my food, good times and my outlets? Have my teams done well, where ever they have gone? Have I been satisfied? Do I still feel like a youngster (hungry & driven)? YES! YES! & YES because I feel I am only half way there, as I have a lot more to learn, contribute, create and deliver, before the last meal is served from my kitchen.