Don’t we all enjoy going to restaurants with our friends and family? We quickly become critics and start analysing the food, ambiance, and hospitality at a restaurant but we often fail to understand the hard work that goes behind setting up a restaurant. To understand the struggles and life of a restauranteur, we got in touch with Sahaj Chopra, the younger brother of Indian actress Parineeti Chopra. He is the co-founder and director of Fat Tiger which has 50 outlets across 22 cities. The QSR brand currently operates in various Indian cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kanpur and Dehradun. The menu includes hot and cold teas, shakes, burgers, dim sum, pizza, and various sides such as fries, popcorn chicken, and pasta.
What is it like to run a restaurant?
Restaurant management may be a rewarding but difficult endeavour. The company has several facets and does much more than merely prepare and serve food. Building a loyal customer base, creating memorable dining experiences, and seeing your vision come to life can be fulfilling.
Success, however, frequently necessitates meticulous preparation, hard work, and a thorough comprehension of the sector and your target market. It’s a business that needs a blend of inventiveness, culinary prowess, and sound commercial judgment to succeed.
How are you ensuring that you keep the quality in control? How do you source your meat and seafood?
The two most important methods for ensuring food quality throughout production are inspection and testing. To make sure we adhere to the necessary requirements, inspection includes inspecting the food product, raw ingredients, packaging, equipment, and the entire production process.
What about competition?
While we do consider other QSR entrepreneurs to be competitors, we also appreciate the wonderful job they do for this industry. In fact, we believe it’s critical to recognise the advantages that our competitors possess since doing so enables us to spot areas in which we can grow and draw inspiration from their achievements. Furthermore, understanding their company practises and plans might offer important insights when we carry out a study on new expansion chances. We will ultimately be able to make wise judgments and maintain an edge over the competition if we have a complete awareness of the competitive landscape of our business, including our key competitors.
What are the future plans?
In line with a mutually advantageous model, franchise owners are warmly encouraged to make a substantial capital investment, while the firm graciously provides additional financial support. This collaborative approach fosters a strong sense of partnership, enabling both franchisees and the company to share in the success and prosperity of each new venture. Such thoughtful strategies align with Fat Tiger’s vision to build a vibrant and thriving network of franchises, contributing to the brand’s continuous growth and enduring success.
Relationship with Parineeti?
I really try to look out for her. I have always remained like that and it has only widened with time. On a daily basis, we video call and spend hours talking to each other. In addition, the bond grew even more during the pandemic, since we were away from each other. Since then, we have not parted for a single day. I recall those unplanned phone calls, messages, and roasting, it has improved with time.
Wedding menu
The wedding menu included mini burgers, delicious aloo pyaaz kachori, milk cake, hazelnut getaway, and dark truffle pastry. Also, Mediterranean delights such as falafel and red beetroot hummus. The munchies included Peri Peri French Fries, potato wedges, quiches, tarts, and sandwiches were there.
