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A D Singh: My mantra for success
Vinitha Ramchandani
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February 22, 2005

A D SinghHe's the man behind the swanky, high profile restaurants, Olive Bar & Kitchen, in Mumbai and Delhi.

Over the last ten years, restaurateur A D Singh has been creating a lifestyle revolution in Mumbai, and recently in Delhi.

Some home truths for success from the guru of good food!

Tell us something about yourself -- your background and your educational qualifications.

I studied at Cathedral school, Mumbai, and then did my Bachelor's in Engineering from the US.

Even in school, I was socially active and used to organise social events.

Did you always want to get into the hospitality industry?

I was not really inclined to doing my BE. But I did it because it was the thing to do at my time.

I worked for Cadbury's as a manager for a while, but I realised it was not my thing.

I went around looking for answers in life. I was 27. I wanted to do some meaningful work for society and thought of joining an NGO. In those days, NGOs didn't pay well and it was not the ideal thing for a man to do if he wanted to run his house.

In 1988, I decided to become an entrepreneur. I organised a boat party for my sister that went off very well. It set me thinking.

Finally, with my mother's help, I started organising boat parties. I started Party Lines in Mumbai (EM>It is still one of Mumbai's most successful party organising event companies).

What was it like in the beginning? What was the initial investment like?

I tapped into international ideas. I found that in the US, there were places that had different owners in the day and different owners in the night.

Just Desserts was like that. I realised we needed something with jazz music in Mumbai and started Jazz By The Bay.

My total investment for any project was under Rs 50,000. We made adjustments every day. We bought things in little by little. We did not make money for two years.

What were the challenges and obstacles you faced? How did you overcome them?

Oh, we made many mistakes. Our inventory control was very poor at Just Desserts.

Also, every customer became our friend and it was difficult to charge friends.

We could not control the environment, like the police. But we learnt what worked, eventually.

You opened the Delhi branch of Olive Bar & Kitchen a year ago. Any other cities planned?

We are looking at Bangalore for 2005, but haven't purchased any property there yet.

We want to make Olive the best restaurant in the country.

What is the future of the hospitality industry? Do you foresee any particular trend in the future, in India as well as internationally?

The hospitality industry is steady and booming. The market is very mature.

People in the industry have realised they need to put a good product to survive.

What about internationally?

The markets in the West are saturated. A lot of them, like (the coffee bars) Starbucks, are doing well internationally and will come to India.

What happens to Indian entrepreneurs?

It will be harder for local entrepreneurs. It will also be a learning experience for us.

What are your mantras for success, both at work and in life?

Have you heard the saying, 'The harder I work, the luckier I get'?

That is my main mantra for success.

I also enjoy my work very much. I think youngsters must think of earning a living out of something they like.

I always believe in working for the long run.

For me, customer relations is very important. My customers know they will be well looked after and will never be shortchanged.

What are the five things young people tend to overlook when joining the hospitality industry?

Youngsters tend to think this is a glamorous field. It is not.

Many get into this field because they cook well. Again, not a good idea.

Do you know the restaurant business has the highest failure rate for a beginner? My advise is to work (in the industry) for a while, gain experience before you open anything of your own.

If you still want to open a restaurant of your own, take on people with significant experience from the industry as a consultant or partner.

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