This is a tasty lesson in entrepreneurship. As I sat down on the table, I heard someone say “I can eat here 7 days a week and and still feel good”. It echoed my thoughts. Quality, variety, hygiene and a pricing – This restaurant has got it all. Most importantly, you are a guest here; not another customer to be monetised.
I would travel to Mumbai to indulge in their Thaali. You are treated like a king. Everyone serves you to your hearts content. Unlike some restaurants where the servers make noises trying to fill the bowls but barely manage a good serving, you are served without any noise here. They don’t cut corners. They don’t look for shortcuts. The onions, pickles and chutneys are served to the full. They are neatly cut with the best part being served. The repeat helpings are not a formality. Everyone, from your personal waiter to the manager are clean, shaven and neatly dressed. They carry a big smile on them. They serve as if you are their own. They keep a watch on you without being intrusive. You are never left wanting anything. The warmth is as addictive as the quality of food. They are not trying to make some more money from your current visit, but focussed on ensuring that you want to come back again.
I have seen most corporates bringing their foreign guests here. They are explained the nuances in the food, the tastes and the specialities. I have seen families come here as it doesn’t pinch the pocket. And I personally have been here at every opportunity. In fact, I stay at Nariman Point so that I can be here for my dinner, alone but still feeling wanted. Here, you are never made to feel guilty even when you indulge.
Entrepreneurs will do well to visit ‘Status’, a restaurant at Nariman Point, Mumbai. It is a lesson in creating a quality product, packaging it well, pricing it well and still treating the Guest as a king. They focus on retention than acquisition. They make the food as if it is for their own, serve as if you are their own. They work to bring a smile on the guest. If you can do what Status does for its guests, you have a winning proposition. Show me a 90% retention rate, and I will ensure you are funded. Because the first sale cannot be a transaction, but the start of a new long relationship. They have got everything right. Visit here for lessons in entrepreneurship. It is worth the money and the food is just an incentive.
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