Eating Capital focuses on the restaurant business in Delhi and Mumbai, an industry that, according to most experts, has irrevocably transformed due to the COVID pandemic. Cloud kitchens have exploded, and delivery, rather than dining in, has become the name of the game. In this episode I speak with an established restaurant consultant, Samir Kuckreja, and two restaurant owners, Kainaz Messman and Jiten Suchede, to ask what it really takes for independent cafes and coffee shops to tick in today’s highly competitive market. What are the values that restaurant owners must weigh in order to survive? These conversations are full of sharp insights for anyone who has ever thought about opening a cafe, and the news is not all discouraging.

Topics covered in this episode:


Min 3:22: Meet Samir Kuckreja

Min 3:33: The impact of the pandemic on India’s restaurants

Min 4:50: Meet Kainaz Messman

Min 6:00: Adapting one’s business to survive

Min 9:46: Cloud kitchens and delivery models

Min 15:20: Meet Jiten Suchede

Min 17:11: Jiten’s tips for running a restaurant

Min 20:56: Challenges of working in hospitality as a woman



Learn more about this episode of Bad Table Manners at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at WhetstoneRadio.

Guests: Samir Kuckreja, Kainaz Messman (@theobromapatisserie), Jiten Suchede (@jugmugthela)