Hotel Talk

Mars Restaurants goes international

Neeti Mehra - Mumbai

Mars Restaurants Private Ltd. went international with the launch of its first Indian cuisine restaurant 'Dabbawala' which opened this month in Springfield Avenue - a business district - in New York. The USP of the restaurant is that the food is served in 'Dabbas' or the ubiquitous tiffin box, which is a common sight on Mumbai's roads. Each tiffin container would be copper or brass on the outside to differentiate between vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The service spoons would be designed as part of the tiffin box holder. The kitchen is an 'open plan' one, and the staff will be attired in trendy Indian wear.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Sanjay Narang, president, Mars Restaurants Private Limited said, "The restaurant will cater to the local population. The emphasis is on providing the customer with healthy, high quality and value for money innovative cuisine based on the varied taste and flavours of regional Indian cuisines. It is not fusion food nor is it designed specifically for the expatriate Indian community. The aim is to change the common perception of Indian food by offering an alternative to the traditional Indian curry house."

The head chef is Colin Crasto, who has been with the group for 22 years. "The menu will be reflective of the variety of food from all over India. Fresh ingredients and typical cooking methods should be used to incorporate lighter and healthier cuisine to provide a well-balanced and wholesome meal," says Narang.

The ambience and décor will represent modern, clean lines, sleek, easy on the eye and reflecting the vibrancy of India - warm, colorful and stylish. Speaking on the interiors, Narang said, "The seating is fixed benches with a gadda and we have spanking white Korean tables to go with the look. It is a very interesting blend," he continues. "We plan to put up plasma or projection screen at prominent locations in the restaurant with films on India's dabbawallas, which will showcase interesting facts about this system and its history, along with pictures and written facts."

Reiterating the value-for-money concept, he explains, "The average cheque will be slightly below that of high end restaurant thereby adding 'value-for-money' to the uniqueness of the restaurant. This will necessitate a restaurant of medium to large in size, of about 100 seats." The restaurant will have a separate bar and seating area. Narang further informs that the chain of restaurants will be opened across Europe and the United States, with an investment of one and a half million dollars.