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The demonetisation of currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 have taken the country by storm. Black money holders are looking for ways by which they can get rid of the black money and others who don’t have any black money are facing a cash crunch as this move has started a nationwide crisis. 
 
At this juncture, people hanging out in the pubs across the metro cities of the country aren’t facing much trouble. The proof being the statistics of the payment done by customers in last two days including today at restaurants in Delhi NCR. While people who go hanging out with friends and families tend to pay plastic money, the numbers have gone really up since yesterday. 
 <keyword id="824043" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Insider">Business Insider</keyword> spoke to a few of the prominent restaurateurs in Delhi and Mumbai. Raasta is a <keyword id="3131033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Caribbean-lounge">Caribbean Lounge</keyword> known for its cool and relax vibe and has outlets across Mumbai and Delhi. Joy Singh, co-partner, <keyword id="3832629" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="raasta-delhi-mumbai">Raasta Delhi &amp; Mumbai</keyword> told Business Insider, “There will be a dip in overall sales for a few days because of the limited purchasing power but it will smooth out the moment new currency starts flowing. Today 90 percent of our transactions happen through debit and credit cards, so hosting our guests would not be a problem. Even business doesn't seem to be affected much as we pay all our employees and vendors through cheque.” 
 At Twist, Cyber Hub, a place specializing in oriental cuisine, the ratio of people paying by cards is normally 75% versus 25% in cash. “Since this big announcement of doing away with 500 and 1000 rupee notes has been made, there has been a mode of panic and yes, short term we do expect to see the hospitality sector getting hit. In the longer run, I think people will still go out and eat and enjoy good food and ambience, so this is only a temporary phase. Give it a few days and everything will be back to normal,” said <keyword id="3821573" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="randip-dhingra">Randip Dhingra</keyword>, owner of Twist. 
 <keyword id="2481483" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vikrant-Batra">Vikrant Batra</keyword>, Owner <keyword id="3389204" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cafe-Delhi-Heights">Cafe Delhi Heights</keyword> said, "It is a very bold and courageous move by the government and will definitely affect business. Most of the people who dine in and pay through cash will initially face some inconvenience. Nevertheless we completely support the move as in the longer run it will ensure transparency and will help eradicate black money and corruption which are the biggest obstacles in the growth of our economy." 
 
Keeping in mind the better side of this instant crisis, all restaurateurs are totally in support of this as this is the roadmap to curb corruption. <keyword id="3292668" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sameer-Kohli">Sameer Kohli</keyword>, Co-owner The Hungry <keyword id="57812" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Monkey">Monkey</keyword> has admitted that they might see a drop in footfall for initial few days due to shortage of circulation of new currency notes in the market. But he is positive about the fact that this will be normal in coming weeks.

Modi's demonetisation worked very well for restaurants in Mumbai and Delhi. This is why

<keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword>’s <keyword id="9408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Park-Street">Park Street</keyword> has a legacy. It has a lot of firsts to its credit. Long back author Jaydeep Mazumder had written, India’s first department store- Hall &amp; <keyword id="16745" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anderson">Anderson</keyword>, music café, first ice cream parlour- Magnolia, first soda fountain, the first restaurants offering live entertainment – all had one address in India, Park Street. 
 Who can forget the year-end carnival that has a reputation all over the globe? It’s not just a street. Officially it may have been christened <keyword id="579289" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mother-Teresa-Sarani">Mother Teresa Sarani</keyword>, but it’s a happening place for the elitists of the country. It has seen the vintage 70s and 80s. Who would have known the singer performing live at <keyword id="424155" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trincas">Trincas</keyword> then would end up being the famous <keyword id="7376" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Usha-Uthup">Usha Uthup</keyword> now? Of Cabarets, jazz clubs and pubs, Park Street’s prominence has invited famed Bengali ‘bhodroloks’ (gentlemen). That sometimes ranged from Soumitra Chatterjee, Barun Chanda, <keyword id="14969" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satyajit-Ray">Satyajit Ray</keyword>, Anjan Dutta to writer Mani Shankar Mukherjee, <keyword id="23798" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amitav-ghosh">Amitav Ghosh</keyword> and musician <keyword id="932811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nandan-Bagchi">Nandan Bagchi</keyword>. 
 And then this happened. Independent India’s first nightclub, Mocambo at Park Street doesn’t let a marketing professional enter with her driver, where she thought would be the best place to dine on her final evening in the city. She wasn’t just brazenly denied entry with the driver, but a reason as silly as the driver not wearing the proper outfit (read extravagant clothes) and was seen eating jhal muri, was given to justify its actions. At a time when the Chief Minister of the state has decided to call ‘telebhaja’ (fried snacks) an industry in the State and seeking foreign investments to expand the same, denying someone entry to the posh restaurant on this pretext is abominable for a place whose Chicken Sicillienes was quite a favourite with <keyword id="6360386" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru">Jawaharlal Nehru</keyword>. 
 
Mind you, the rage is taking place on social media, a place more powerful than all presidents of the world put together. While the management of the place said they have the right to admission reserved, people rightly pointed out that cannot be based on someone’s appearance. We got in touch with <keyword id="2481483" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vikrant-Batra">Vikrant Batra</keyword>, owner of <keyword id="3389204" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cafe-Delhi-Heights">Cafe Delhi Heights</keyword>, a leading chain of restaurants in the capital to understand the right properly. "’Right to admission reserved’ is a very critical term not only for the hospitality industry but also for any public place in general. It is very important to filter your crowd on the basis of the kind of experience you want to give to your customers. It relates to both safety as well as the concept behind your restaurant. Having said that it should not be exercised to discriminate people on the basis of their caste, colour, creed or their economic strata,” <keyword id="233052" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Batra">Batra</keyword> told <keyword id="824043" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Insider">Business Insider</keyword>. 
 
Same view was expressed by the spokesperson of Radisson Blue MBD,Noida, who said, “Speaking from a purely legal viewpoint any hotel has a right to restrict admission to anyone as long as this is not a discriminatory action i.e. due to race, caste , religion.” 
 
Definitely, for a place like Mocambo that boasts of a dance floor reinforced with Belgian glass, and having flown down an Italian chef to design its menu with a German architect designing the interior, we could have expected some Indian hospitality to add to the feel. 
 And even if the admission stays reserved, “One cannot rule out the thumb rule of our industry - Customer is the king. All we need to do is make them feel like one,” says <keyword id="3647825" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sudhir-ahuja">Sudhir Ahuja</keyword> of <keyword id="3647830" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bakstage-kolkata">Bakstage Kolkata</keyword>, a well-known pub in Sector V, <keyword id="6360091" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Salt-lake">Salt Lake</keyword>.

Kolkata Mocambo consequence: Do restaurants have the right to reject
guests on silly pretexts?

Yes, <keyword id="6428354" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chris-Martin">Chris Martin</keyword> was in Delhi and yes you missed his impromptu gig at Summerhouse Café in Delhi. 
 It was a typical case of an owner’s pride and neighbour’s envy when a usual Wednesday night turned into one of the most happening ones as <keyword id="34647" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Coldplay">Coldplay</keyword>’s Chris Martin walked into the bar and played songs- Viva la vida, and Paradise. 
 
Lucky ones termed it as a moment of a lifetime and clicked pictures with the international star, who was at the café with All India Bakchod’s Tanmay Bhat, actress Freida Pinto, singers Vishal Dadlani, Raghu Dixit and men from comedy collective. 
 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Chris Martin, <a href="https://twitter.com/BecauseImFreida">@BecauseImFreida</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Raghu_Dixit">@Raghu_Dixit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AllIndiaBakchod">@AllIndiaBakchod</a> What a night! MENTAL!!! <a href="http://t.co/diL7YKnZHy">pic.twitter.com/diL7YKnZHy</a>
	— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) <a href="https://twitter.com/VishalDadlani/status/616324568894943233">July 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
 
The gig was arranged in 10 minutes by the café as it was not a planned one. Kudos to Summerhouse Café as it arranged for bouncers, sound mixing console and other works within 10 minutes. 
 
So what if international artists like Adam Levine of Maroon 5, Mark Ronson, Hardwell, turn up at your café, will you be ready? 
 
We list for you 5 bars that promise to be ready under 30 minutes to host a gig by an international star. Ensure you regular these watering holes more often now, just in case someone decided on an impromptu gig! 
 
<keyword id="1983380" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Backyard">The Backyard</keyword>, Aurobindo Marg 
 
 
 
This cookery and drinkout missed out on Martin by a whisker but says it will be ready in no time to host a gig by an international star. 
“We are lined up with best console and arrangements and will take us not more than 6-7 minutes to be prepared for a gig like Martin did. We already have Nikhil Chinapa playing for us and would love to have Axwell playing for us,” said co-owner of Backyard, Anukool Kumar. 
 
Hard Rock Café, Select City Walk 
 
 
Organising a last minute show is relatively very easy as we have a huge database of experienced musicians who can play at a moment’s notice, the café claimed. 
 
It was honest enough to say that they would take some time for sound check and backline but on a confirmed note it informed, “30 minutes is more than enough.” 
 
Café Delhi Heights, Select City Walk 
 
 
 
Owner Vikrant Batra is also confident that Delhi Heights will organise any gig within 30 minutes. 
"We are equipped with latest technology and operational efficiency and many times such impromptu events shape up better than many well planned ones. It not only adds to the surprise element for the customers present at the restaurant, it also gives them a reason to come back to the restaurant and reminisce the enjoyment,” said Batra. 
 
Café Terminus 1, Vasant Kunj 
 
When contacted, this café too gave a thumbs up and claimed to be prepared within half an hour. 
 
Rodeo, Connaught Place 
 
Rishi Kumar, General Manager at Rodeo, said that they are always ready with basic requirements like sound set-up and security. “In case of any celebrity playing, we need to be extra cautious due to huge popularity. Once the guidelines are understood, any special requirements by artists can also be addressed without any hassle within 30 minutes,” he added. 
 
For those who missed, Here is Chris Martin's gig: 
 
 
 
 
(Image: Twitter, Video: YouTube)

5 pubs in Delhi that will be ready under 30 minutes for a Chris Martin kinda gig!

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=delhi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Delhi</a> is not exactly the city that you’d think would treat <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=parsi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Parsi </a>cuisine as one of its own, but <keyword id="227620" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Olive-Group">Olive Group</keyword>’s <keyword id="2598384" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="SodaBottleOpenerWala">SodaBottleOpenerWala</keyword> seems to have dispelled that myth. 
 
From their first restaurant at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=gurgaon&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Gurgaon</a> in 2013 and their ever-crowded joint at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=khan+market&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Khan Market</a> to their recent foray into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=noida&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Noida</a> with an outlet at <keyword id="6427591" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="DLF-Mall-of-India">DLF Mall of India</keyword>, SodaottleOpenerWala and its food is hitting all the right notes. 
 
Business Insider decided to take an afternoon detour to the two-week old SodaottleOpenerWala, Noida to find out for ourselves if they’re doing the <keyword id="2136097" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="dhansak">dhansak</keyword> justice. 
 
 
FIRST THOUGHTS 
 
 
 
The restaurant is located on the 3rd floor of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/EXCLUSIVE-How-DLF-gave-the-country-Mall-of-India-its-first-destination-mall/articleshow/52025229.cms">DLF Mall of India</a>, the country’s largest mall and is bang opposite <keyword id="150626" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="HM">H&amp;M</keyword>, which works out perfectly in the favour of SodaBottleOpenerWala as almost everyone coming out of H&amp;M end up heading to the restaurant. 
 Mohit Singh, the manager of the Noida outlet echoes this thought, adding that this exact spot is a blessing in disguise when being around popular <keyword id="34615" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="restaurants">restaurants</keyword> such as Cafe Delhi Heights, Chili’s and <keyword id="98233" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mamagoto">Mamagoto</keyword>. 
 
The restaurant which opened its doors to the public barely two weeks back, starts its day at 12 pm and shuts its doors at 12 am. They do not take reservations and on any day, you are bound to notice a long line of people waiting patiently for their turn inside- an evidence to their popularity. 
 
We arrived at 12.45 pm and were escorted to our table by the manager. About 20 minutes later, the restaurant started filling up like a stadium before a cricket match. 
 
 
 
Naturally, the view outside was the familiar sight of a long queue of people waiting their turn. 
 
 
LOOK AND FEEL 
 
 
 
The Noida outlet has a modest space that can sit about 90 people at a time. 
 Undoubtedly, the old Irani cafe charm dominates every nook and corner of the interiors which is done up beautifully in bright colours aided aptly by the trademark red and white table cloth, lighting, the 70’s playlist and the wall decorations that are a throwback to the legend of <keyword id="1742714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Irani-cafes">Irani cafes</keyword>. They’ve even managed to throw in a cute little Irani bakery amidst the space that makes you want to skip to dessert altogether. 
 
 
 
 
DRINKS 
 
The Drinks menu of SodaBottleOpenerWala is a delight to read, and as we found out, even better to taste. 
 
Apart from a variety of inhouse ‘chais,’ the menu feature unusual accompaniments to a meal such as Gaane nu Ras, Mawa Shake, Irani Falooda, Sekanji Bin and ofcourse the usual at every Irani cafe-Raspberry Soda. 
 
Our nostalgia for the city that never sleeps was at its peak once we saw ‘Ganne nu Ras’ (Rs 130) on the menu but unfortunately, we were told it was unavailable at the moment. 
 
 
 
Not worried by our minor setback, we instead went with Mrs SodaBottleOpenerWala’s Cold Coffee (Rs 130), which with its distinct flavour was one of the best cold coffees we’ve had, a Nimbu Soda (Rs 80) that arrived in a cute mason jar and was more than enough for two people and the delicious Raspberry Soda (150), which is undoubtedly the best in town. It’s time to say goodbye, Duke! 
 
Highly recommended: The Sekanji Bin (Rs 150); a Persian drink made from mint and dried plum, is refreshing and fairly equipped to beat the Delhi heat. 
 
 
STARTERS 
 
It is only when you go through the list of starters that you realise the true intentions of SodaBottleOpenerWala. 
 It not only wants you to relive the Parsi goodness, but also indulge you in the comfort of the local snacks of Mumbai, and thus a quick scan of the menu will reveal how Mumbai favourites (Kanda Bhajji, Grill Sandiwch, Vada Pav) are thrown in good measure amongst the Parsi offerings. (<keyword id="3349518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolmi-Fry">Kolmi Fry</keyword>, Chicken Farcha, Bun Maska, Tareli Macchi) 
 
 
 
We started off with the Vada Pav (Rs 60 per piece), which was undoubtedly better than what we’ve sampled in Delhi, but nowhere close to how it is in Mumbai. 
 
 
 
Next was the Kolmi Fry (Rs 395), a preparation of fried prawns with onions which was the star of the meal. Cooked to perfection, its delicious taste lingers on. (Be warned, it’s on the oily side.) 
 
 
 
We moved on to the Boneless Chicken Farcha (Rs 250), a classic Parsi style fried chicken, which was given a modern twist and served to us in the form of mini-cutlets of four. Unfortunately, it didn’t stand out as expected. 
 
Highly recommended: Eggs Kejriwal (Rs 175). Don’t ask questions, just go ahead and order it. SodaBottleOpenerWala’s version of it is an absolute stunner. 
 
 
MAIN COURSE 
 
The starters are bound to fill your stomach, so order accordingly if you want to take full advantage of the main course that is waiting to spoil you. The restaurant also serves combo meals (They include a main course and cutlets) in steel tiffin boxes that are a total value for money. 
 
 
 
If you’re aiming for the big guns, like us-order your heart away. We tasted the Salli Chicken (Rs 330), a traditional Parsi style chicken gravy with potato fries on top and were blown away with how soft the chicken was. Pairing it with Maska Pav (the softest we’ve ever had) is a good idea as it makes for a memorable meal. 
 
If you’re confused between the Dhansak (Rs 360/475) and Berry Pulao (Rs 425), choose the Dhansak. You won’t regret it. It’s quite close to the ones you get in Mumbai. 
 
Highly recommend: The Patra Ni Macchi (Rs 610). This dish is bound convert anyone into a fish-lover. 
 
 
DESSERT 
 
 
 
Deciding to give the freshly baked goodies a miss, we settled in for the Toblerone Mousse (Rs 125), which could’ve done with a little bit more of toblereone, but maybe we’re being greedy. 
 
Highly recommended: The Parsi Dairy Farm Kulfi (Rs 180) to wrap up the Mumbai nostalgia. 
 
 
MANAGEMENT SPEAK 
 
Mohit Singh, SodaBottleOpenerWala Noida’s restaurant manager tells us that in two weeks itself, the outlet has received overwhelming response, serving approximately 500 people on weekends and 300 on weekdays. The number is huge for a restaurant that caters to a niche audience with just one type of cuisine. 
 
 
 
He admits that though people show initial apprehension when they learn that they serve only Parsi cuisine. “We tell them to just come inside and taste one dish and if they are still not convinvced, then go. Most of the times, they end up staying,” Mohit adds. 
 
The only drawback of the restaurant, according to Mohit is the fact that they don’t have an alcohol license, yet. “That kind of restricts us, because we do amazing cocktails. But, just last weekend, we took a day license and served complimentary drinks to our patrons. They loved it.” 
 
Don't worry though. They're getting one so0n. 
 
 
INSIDE INFO 
 
The Noida outlet has a new item on the menu in the form of the Bambaiyya Potato Fry. 
 
 
BI ROUND UP 
 
SodaBottleOpenerWala is every Irani cafe’s 21st century makeover- it’s their cousin that returned after a stint abroad. 
Eating here is an experience you must not miss. 
 
Rating: 8.5/10 
 
--- 
 
Address: SodaBottleOpenerWala, 3rd Floor, DLF Mall Of India, Noida Sector 18. 
Meal for Two: Rs 2000+ approximately (without alcohol) 
 
 
Image credit: Manoj Bhagavatula 
 
(Disclaimer: The meal was sponsored by the restaurant)

RESTAURANT SPOTLIGHT: SodaBottleOpenerWala, Noida is
an impressive ode to Parsi cuisine and Mumbai.

<keyword id="154995" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="bharti-realty">Bharti Realty</keyword>, backed by Indian industrialist <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Sunil-Mittal-replaces-Terry-McGraw-to-become-the-new-chairman-of-ICC/articleshow/52775956.cms">Sunil Bharti Mittal</a>, is coming up with a destination for food, beverage, shopping and leisure, at <keyword id="6388587" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aerocity">Aerocity</keyword> near <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Leadership-lessons-from-Bharti-Group-CEO-Sunil-Bharti-Mittal/articleshow/51681498.cms">Delhi airport</a>. The leisure hub, called Worldmark, would be sprawled across ​ 700,000 sq ft, out of which over 16,000 sq ft will be for eating-out space housing several restaurants. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Leadership-lessons-from-Bharti-Group-CEO-Sunil-Bharti-Mittal/articleshow/51681498.cms">Leadership lessons from Bharti Enterprises Founder-Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal</a> 
 
Some of these restaurants include Cafe Delhi Heights, Imperfecto, Social and Asia 7. 
 
SK Sayal, CEO of Bharti Realty, told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/indl-goods/svs/construction/bharti-realty-to-set-up-leisure-hub-at-aerocity/articleshow/53975263.cms">ET</a> that Aerocity will beat Gurgaon-based <keyword id="3279699" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="DLF-Cyberhub">DLF Cyberhub</keyword> to become the food hub for Delhi-NCR, given that it would be enjoying the benefit of its central location. 
 
Even though CyberHub has a huge F&amp;B zone spanning 200,000 sq ft of space, industry experts feel that it's the geographic benefit of Worldmark that would work in its favour. However, it would not be eating up Cyberhub's business since there is enough scope for both to survive. 
 
<a href="http://www.worldmark.co.in/gallery.asp">Image source</a>

Bharti Realty to set up leisure destination near Delhi Airport’s Aerocity

<ul><li><keyword id="12437554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zepto" source="Orion">Zepto</keyword> is now valued at a whopping $900 million, after raising $200 million.</li><li>The funding round was led by Y Combinator Continuity fund and Kaiser Permanente.</li><li>The company has already hired 1000 employees so far and plans to hire 1000 more this year</li></ul>Quick commerce startup Zepto — founded by two 19-year-old Stanford dropouts nine months ago — is now valued at a whopping $900 million. The company, on Monday night, announced that it has raised $200 million. The funding round was led by Y Combinator Continuity fund and Kaiser Permanente. All key existing investors, including Nexus Venture Partners, Glade Brook Capital and Lachy Groom have also participated in Zepto’s latest Series D round. The company has raised close to $350 million to date and was valued at $560 million in April December 2021. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Month </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Event </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">April 2021 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Founded </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">November 2021 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Raised $60 million, at $225 million valuation </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">December 2021 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Raised $100 million at the valuation of $570 million </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: Zepto Zepto’s chief executive officer (CEO) and cofounder Aadit Palicha, highlighted that the company has reported 800% increase in its revenue on a quarterly basis. Secondly, the cash burn of the company has come down by a fifth on a pre-order basis. The company also claims to maintain an Net Promoter Score (NPS) — a metric that companies use to measure customer loyalty — at 88-points, he noted. “This unbelievable execution over the past few months has made it clear to investors that Zepto will be one of the winners in Indian Q-Commerce,” he emphasised. The company is also piloting several services to deliver coffee, tea and items from local cafes — termed as ‘Zepto Cafe’ — in under 10 minutes across selected areas in Mumbai. The company plans to scale this service, which is not a food delivery vertical as per Zepto, across India if the pilot is successful. Zepto was founded by Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra in April 2021, and it currently delivers 3,500 products across 11 cities in 10 minutes flat. These services are available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ghaziabad and other cities. Zepto plans to start its operations in another dozen cities in the near future. “We not only want to just expand across the country but we also want to double down on the team we have built because frankly creating a $900 million company in nine month is an insane achievement. Frankly, the team has had everything to do with that,” Palicha told Business Insider. He noted that the company has already hired 1000 people across functions over the last few months and plans to hire another 1000 in the next one year. The first round of hiring was focused on all verticals — engineering, analytics, operations, marketing, finance, and human resources (HR). The second round would be focused on tech and product. The<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/newsletter-23-december-2021/binewsletter/88440534.cms"> competition in the quick commerce segment</a> has increased significantly even since the second half of 2021. Zepto competes with Reliance-backed Duzno, Swiggy Instamart, Zomato-backed Blinkit (Grofers) and now Tata-backed BigBazaar. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-wilmar-revenue-rockets-fuelled-by-boiling-edible-oil-prices/articleshow/91260794.cms"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/its-open-india-now-has-a-century-of-unicorns/articleshow/91254798.cms">It's Open — India now has a century of unicorns</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/upi-reached-new-heights-with-5-58-billion-transactions-in-april-2022/articleshow/91250099.cms">UPI reaches new heights with 5.58 billion transactions in April 2022</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/byjus-swiggy-and-ten-other-startups-raised-the-biggest-round-last-quarter/slidelist/91251672.cms">Byju's, Swiggy and ten other startups raised nearly $4 billion last quarter</a>

These two 19-year-olds scaled Zepto into a $900 million company in nine months

<ul><li>Indian Hotels, the operator of Taj Hotels, launched its food delivery platform Qmin at the peak of the pandemic.</li><li>Born out of adversity, this start-up has been profitable since day one in the industry dominated by <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword> and <keyword id="6358977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swiggy" source="Orion">Swiggy</keyword>.</li><li>Jehangir Press, associate VP, strategic accounts management group and commercial director, Qmin at IHCL speaks to Business Insider India about Taj’s value chain, growth story, journey so far and revenue goals for FY23.</li></ul>Indian Hotels, the operator of Taj Hotels, launched its food delivery platform Qmin two years ago. At the height of the pandemic, instead of outsourcing the Taj Hotel Group’s delivery services to existing platforms, the Tata Group launched its own in-house platform in Qmin. In the last two years, Qmin has generated revenues to the tune of ₹100 crore. This year alone, it hopes to clock in revenues to the tune of ₹80 crore. “We are possibly the only food delivery platform that has been profitable from day one because we have found the right balance of using our existing resources,” Jehangir Press, associate VP, strategic accounts management group and commercial director, Qmin at IHCL, told Business Insider India. The 90-minute delivery service Zomato and its rival Swiggy together hold <a href="https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/are-zomato-swiggy-helping-restaurant-business-or-hurting-it-why-cci-has-ordered-a-probe/905581/">90-95%</a> market share in India’s food delivery business, but also burning cash. In the quarter ending March 2022, Zomato posted a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/zomato-posted-a-1222-crore-loss-but-its-stock-gained-18-reasons-behind-the-surge/articleshow/91766080.cms">net loss</a> of ₹1,222 crore, which widened by ₹400 crore since last year. With Qmin, the Tata Group could move away from having to depend on the likes of Zomato or Swiggy for deliveries. Qmin also gave the group complete control over the entire value chain from food preparation to delivery. “We have 100% control – over the value chain and with that, you are in control of the safety, hygiene, and health of everything that you're sending out. Also, we obviously cannot compromise on hygiene and safety. We took a call and even though it costs us substantially more, we went with the complete ecosystem,” said Press. Unlike its competitors that have been focusing on chopping their delivery time from 30 minutes to 10 minutes, Qmin says it has prioritized safety, security, hygiene, sustainability and delivering a luxurious experience. Qmin takes up to 90 minutes to deliver its orders. Its menu starts from ₹200 onwards and Qmin’s family feast widget and Fiama pizzas are the most ordered meals on the app. <div type="image" title="Qmin Packaging image" msid="93520889" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Qmin&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> It has delivered over a million meals to consumers so far and donated over 57,000 meals to flood-affected areas of Assam. From luxury food delivery to gourmet dining cafes While it started off as a gourmet food delivery service, Qmin has expanded into different food categories with the launch of its food truck, gourmet eatery shops and Qmin quick service restaurant (QSR). Its food trucks are stationed outside corporate offices and it also caters to private house parties. <div type="image" title="3 (1)" msid="93520927" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Qmin&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Qmin shops, present in Mumbai and Delhi, retail international food items such as breads, handcrafted cheeses, meats, patisserie items, etc. Qmin also has 13 QSRs in Bengaluru and will be expanding its presence in the country in the coming months. “We're looking at atleast 100 plus shops in QSRs to very quickly open up all across the country. Our truck business will also grow, (but) not at the same pace. The shops are where we see the major growth,” said Press. Qmin is also looking at expanding its presence across borders, starting with the UK, US and UAE markets. While delivery and retail shops contribute almost equally to Qmin’s overall sales, Press is confident that retail shops will contribute a lion’s share of the revenue in the near future.

Qmin has been profitable business for IHCL from day one, says Jehangir Press

So you love a wide spread of smoked salmon, lasagne and a glass of Champagne on your Sunday brunch menu? Now get ready to pay a bomb from July. If you don’t like the continental and want to indulge in chicken biryani and lamb rezala, you aren’t spared either. Government’s much awaited <keyword id="6354679" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="GST">GST</keyword> (Goods and Services Tax) has brought the axe down on the business of hospitality. Both for the restaurateurs and customers, the recently declared GST rate, which would be effective from July, has resulted in devastation. Moreover, the <keyword id="6404781" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alcohol-ban">alcohol ban</keyword> on the highways has taken a toll on many renowned hospitality destinations and has crippled them to the core. The ludicrously high GST i.e. 18% for hotels charging Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000 a room night and 28 % for those pegged at tariff rate of Rs 5,000-plus level and the same taxes for the <keyword id="34615" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="restaurants">restaurants</keyword> would hinder the business like never before. Stand alone restaurants aren’t spared either. Those with air-conditions and liquor license will be charged 18% and non AC ones 12%. For the ones with less than annual turnover of Rs 5 lakh, guests will be charged 5% from July 1. Compare this to the global statistics – GST charged for hotels in Malaysia is 6%, Thailand and Singapore stand at 7% and Japan 8%. The only country that goes double digit with its GST among the competition is China at 11%. Dr. Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, which runs Roseate House in Delhi Aerocity, in an <keyword id="6370284" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Exclusive">exclusive</keyword> interview with Business Insider said, he has lost Rs 2 crore of business in last two months of alcohol ban. Losing Rs 2 crore isn’t a nominal amount and makes us ponder how the government could have actually done it better. Hotels = Jobs At a time, when the opposition parties have raised fingers at the Modi government for the inability to provide jobs to the youth, it is to be reminded, the hospitality sector provides direct employment to 5.8 million people. And when the alcohol was banned along the highways in the restaurants and hotels, nearly 1 million jobs were curbed. Hospitality industry = skyrocketing economy Besides being an essential job creator in the country, hospitality industry has a market worth of Rs 3,09,110 crore, just below Retail and Insurance. Renowned food journalist, Sourish Bhattacharya, on his portal, fears that this high GST would deter local dhaba owners and small food joints to upgrade their businesses fearing too much taxation. At the end of the day, hospitality business is one the verge of becoming service class of the society who takes the burden of all kinds of taxations without much rebate. Why is high rate of GST horrifying? “High GST is going to seriously hurt the hospitality business because international tourists will prefer Southeast Asian destinations because of the increase in tax from the current level. India as a destination will further face challenges from inbound tourists from its neighbouring ASEAN countries. When it comes to the competition with our Asian counterparts such as Japan and Singapore where the tax is much lesser, there will be a dropdown in inbound business which will affect the economy of the country,” feels V. Jaiswal, Senior VP – Sales &amp; Marketing, Sarovar Hotels &amp; Resorts. What goes in the disadvantage of the customers is most eateries will charge 12% even if they are small just to save themselves from taxmen’s red eyes. “We continue to lose to our competitors in the international market due to these activities. Unfortunately the situation does not get any better. In any case we have infrastructural issues in the country and as you know India is a far off destination and so on and so forth. We continue to face these issues,” Dr Bhatia told Business Insider. 
	
	
	
	
	
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What motives are ailing the industry? Alcohol ban impact “Liquor sale alone accounts for 20-30% share of the total food and beverage revenue. It also impacts the revenue from the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) segment, and the room demand segment and will lead to several job losses,” added Jaiswal. When will the government understand? If alcohol ban along the highways and high GST weren’t enough, there is a high level of red tapes that tends to derail the industry anytime. “The red tape bureaucrats today make things difficult by adding onto the business cost, logistics and all other functions of a business get affected. The procedure of getting a license is too long. There are too many departments to get one license cleared thus making it time consuming and delay from the department. This leaves little room for restaurant owners to focus on actually running the restaurant,” Vikrant Batra, Owner, Cafe Delhi heights told Business Insider. Also India’s millennial city Gurugram and the state that houses it has had its fair share of bad day last quarter when the state government without any thought decided to sell liquor through one distributor across the state. In this case, Neeraj Sachdeva’s Lakeforest Wines is a clear winner having paid Rs 62.5 crore bid amount. Since then, if local restaurateurs are to be believed, the liquor prices have gone up by 59% and given rise to grey market economy. Where lies the solution? While Bhatia is positive about various business bodies taking legal steps to make the alcohol ban verdict null, Batra believes,a a single window for the entire licensing process, preferably over the internet handled by the government facilitation agencies would make things easier.

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