Aryaman Birla adds premium restaurants like Hakkasan, Yauatcha to group’s hospitality portfolio

• ABNAH acquires 100% stake in KA Hospitality, adding seven restaurants in three cities to its portfolio.
• KA Hospitality runs four continental restaurants under the brands — Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Nara Thai and CinCin.
• Growing affluence and the desire for high-quality dining experiences is an incredible growth opportunity, says Aryaman Birla, promoter of ABNAH.
  

Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality (ABNAH) founded by Aryaman Vikram Birla, said that it acquired 100% stake in KA Hospitality on Tuesday. KA Hospitality runs four continental restaurants under the brands — Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Nara Thai and CinCin.

This acquisition helped ABNAH add seven restaurants to its portfolio, across three cities. The company currently operates Jolie’s, a members-only club, spanning across 30,000 square feet in Worli in Mumbai. The financial terms of the acquisition were not revealed.

ABNAH promoted Aryaman Vikram Birla has been planning to build premium casual dining restaurant chains across India. Aryaman Birla is the son of Aditya Birla group chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla. He is a cricketer and sits on the board of group companies.

“We continue to believe in the remarkable potential of the premium casual dining space, spurred by rising disposable income and evolving lifestyles of the Indian consumer. The intersection of growing affluence and the desire for new-age, high-quality dining experiences presents an incredible growth opportunity," said Birla, director of Aditya Birla Management Corporation and founder of ABNAH.

He adds that the company added best-in-class restaurants to discerning diners, and that each of the four brands uniquely stands. The four brands are positioned across the customer value pyramid, spanning the mid-market to premium segments.

Hakkasan is a Michelin-starred brand serving modern Cantonese food. Yauatcha is an award-winning dim sum teahouse from London. Nara Thai is a contemporary brand that captures the essence of authentic Thai cuisine. CinCin is a modern Italian brand and designed to reflect the vibe and culture of the Italian ‘La Dolce Vita’ lifestyle.

KA Hospitality was founded by the late Kishor Bajaj in 2011, who introduced Hakkasan and Yauatcha to Mumbai, believing that India was ready for Michelin-grade dining. Karyna Bajaj, who took over as executive director in 2016 brought in Nara Thai, and created a homegrown brand CinCin.

"Over the span of twelve years, we have nurtured our family business with unwavering commitment. We have built KA Hospitality from its very foundation, driven by passion into a formidable establishment renowned for crafting exceptional dining experiences. It is with great pride that we now pass the baton to ABNAH,” said Karyna Bajaj.

In June this year, the metals to cement group which also has extensive presence in the retail sector, entered the branded jewellery segment. It said that it would invest ₹5,000 crore, and house the business under a new venture called ‘Novel Jewels’.