CODE Meets Zorawar Kalra

Zorawar Kalra is the founder and managing director of Massive Restaurants Ltd, and a prominent hospitality figure in India and beyond. Ahead of his pursuit of international expansion to London, Dubai, USA and the Middle East, CODE caught up with the Masterchef India judge.

How did you get into the restaurant business?

The passion for restaurants has always been deep within me. I was thrilled to my father growing up working on great concepts, his lifestyle and especially the respect he commanded from the industry at large. My father was the biggest influence in my life. Around the age of 12, is when I decided that this is the only thing I want to do. But I didn’t want to do something boutique, rather my entrepreneurial bent of mind was more focused on a larger enterprise that would put Indian good on the global palate permanently. My father had instilled this huge responsibility towards Indian food in me. I grew up in a household that was very food-focused. It got us all together. All of us used to meet together on the dining table. As a child, holidays meant tasting new flavours at the best restaurants across the world. Somehow, something just struck a chord with me.

What food do you like to eat?

My two favourite cuisines are Indian and Japanese. Although they are completely opposite, the finesse and balance of flavours in each of these cuisines is intricate. I find myself drawn to the simplicity of Japanese flavours and also to the complexity of the Indian recipes.

What advice would you give to someone if they’re considering opening a restaurant?

I think it is very important for budding restaurateurs to understand that it is a tough business and not a glamorous one; it looks glamorous only on the outside. I will use the analogy of ducks. The duck looks very comfortable and very relaxed when you see it swimming but you don’t know how fast it is paddling underwater. So even though it looks extremely relaxed on the surface, it needs to do a lot of work behind the scene. That is the same thing that happens with the restaurant industry. It looks very exciting but lots of effort and hard work is needed behind the scene. It is a very risky business in which failure rates are very high. There are very low barriers to the entry into the business, anybody can open a restaurant but only a few can run and survive. You must have the right reasons to enter this business. Don’t enter the industry for frivolous reasons. I am not joking, some people enter the business simply because they are getting married and want to show their future father-in-law that they are doing something. That is not the right reason to go into it. You should go into it because you are passionate about it.

How do you think we can make the hospitality sector a more appealing industry to work in?

I think there is severe need for the sector to be recognised as an industry. We are the third largest employer in the UK and contribute hugely to the GDP. We need a single window for licenses and restoration of input tax credit for GST. These things will make the ease of doing business a reality.

Where are you favourite places to eat in London?

St John for British traditional fare. Annabel’s for a Sunday brunch. Sexy Fish for Japanese. Park Chinois for their Friday nights. Incognito for a bar night.

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