From grain to gain

FOOD: Moshe Shek's customised solutions for restaurants have investors eating out of his hands. Literally

Moshe Shek is putting the finishing touches to his fifth eatery in south Mumbai "" a cafe on the mezzanine floor of Fabindia's flagship Kala Ghoda store.

Poonam Singh, Fabindia's zonal manager, is confident they made the perfect choice with Shek. "We've seen what he's done with Crossword (the bookstore chain)."

From Crossword to the Bombay Gymkhana, Gold's gym and a standalone premium restaurant, some may say Moshe's risking spreading himself too thin. But most know him as a chef whose success in one restaurant is finding eager takers for replication.

Especially among retailers who are increasingly keen to find more ways to engage with their customers, and keep them in their stores longer. "People recognise him for quality assurance," says Poonam, "that's what you get when the principal chef is also the owner."

Back at his office, Shek isn't quite sure how one became five. It wasn't part of the original game plan, says the genial 38 year-old whose history includes having being a chef in Israel and running Athena, a members-only nightclub in Mumbai.

Actually, his first restaurant opened in New Delhi, but Shek soon found that his need for complete involvement came in the way of the joint venture. "I don't like having to seek sanction for a renovation or a menu change," he says.

"If a customer rejects a dish, it isn't thrown away. I have the waiter save it in cling film till the time I can check it," says the self-appointed control fanatic.

Still, five places is four too many to be in at the same time, so Shek is looking at professional management. In two weeks, Shek will unveil an eponymous range of foods (jams, jellies, dips and pickles) to be retailed at his outlets.

And the ball's already rolling on infrastructure for a soup and sandwich delivery service to offices in the area around his central kitchen in Worli. Emails pour in, says Shek, from cities as far as Jaipur from investors wanting to back him up.

For now Shek is focussing on customising his Mediterranean-meets-Middle Eastern eateries to suit the platforms they operate from.

"Over time I understand what each retailer or service operator needs as a value proposition for its clients, so I am turning the cafe at the gym into a juice bar and foods shop, and the space at Fabindia will host organic menus to promote their organic produce. You can't have a cut-and-paste coffee shop in a store that stands for craft traditions; specialised retailers want standardisation but with a match for their brand values."

From operating out of a 300 sq ft cubby in his grandfather's pipe dealership in the heaving precinct of Mumbai's Mohammad Ali Road, the progress has been brisk.

"Sometimes growth comes from having to support the huge costs associated with this business, and creating growth opportunities for your employees. Besides, we're still not at 100 per cent capacity utilisation," he explains.

So there's room for more, besides the inevitable scaling up within partner chains? "I'd love to open a tea room in a boutique. And then there's always Goa."