Premium diners hit the brakes hard; look to reinvent for survival

There will be ongoing speed bumps and resets and at least six months before 80 per cent stability returns to dining

India’s top restaurateurs have seen their business models being crushed by the ongoing slowdown, forcing them to lay off employees, cut salaries, and shelve launch plans. Now they are reinventing their strategies to stay afloat, as they see no sign of recovery for at least six months.
 

Entrepreneur Zorawar Kalra’s Massive Restaurants runs 20 self-owned outlets, including premium ones such as Masala Library and Bowtie. Backed by Gaja Capital and Everstone Group, Kalra says the plan is to consolidate and survive, and that his eateries don’t have the bandwidth to deliver or do take-outs just yet.
 

“However, once the lockdown