Comfort Foods, Innovative Recipes Will Be Mega Hit In Years To Come

Jayant Gandhi started his journey in the world of food started with Jungle Jamboree in Gold Souk Gurgaon. Little did he know that it will receive such love from the people that within no time, he will be able to take his first project to locations like CP, Rajouri Garden, Noida & Sector 29 Gurgaon. “Gaining the trust and confidence of our guests, I opened the first branch of Mellow Garden, my second project in South City-2, Gurgaon, which was later extended to Rajouri Garden,” shares Gandhi who is now planning to expand it even further.

Tell us more about your projects.

Just Behind U is a modern haunted theme lounge & bar in Rajouri Garden is doing well, whereas House Of Punjab, also located in Rajouri is doing supremely great, known for its authentic Punjabi cuisine.

When did you ventured into designing of restaurant?

We have been designing restaurants for over 18 years and we've absolutely loved the journey so far. Almost all our designs were well acknowledged and appreciated, we thought about building something of our own and that's how six years back, I started planning my own restaurant and the rest is all there for you all to see.

Why Jungle as theme?

Well, I would definitely say that all these years into creating theme projects took a lot of research and it helped me final down Jungle as the theme for my first restaurant. My idea behind this theme was to lure in both adults and kids equally. A theme like this promotes and encourage family get-togethers and that is exactly what Jungle Jamboree is doing. 

Tell us about menu designing.

We are a multi-cuisine restaurant, but we specifically focus on our Indian & Chinese menu because both these cuisines are highly liked and enjoyed by North Indians.

Which job you enjoy the most, restaurateur or designer?

I like to believe that I am able to create a balance between both my jobs, but since I started with designing, it will always stay close to my heart. Saying that I don't mean that running a restaurant is a dull task.  It is rather much more interesting and catering to large volumes of people every single night, keeps me on my toes.

Five factors you consider while designing your projects.

The 5 most important factors that I always keep in mind while designing any of my projects are: 

-it should be a family orientated place where kids can also enjoy

- it should have lift/staircase/ramp provisions for old age & kids

- it should have comfortable seating arrangements

- it should have a personal dining area for large groups

- it should be a proper thematic place where interiors will be correlated with the theme perfectly

Tell us about your expansion plans.

Currently, we have 4 successfully running ventures, namely, Mellow Garden, Just Behind U, House of Punjab and Jungle Jamboree. We are planning to expand Mellow Garden with branches all over India, and also planning to open up Mellow Cafe & Mellow Express.

What are the factors you look after while selecting locations?

The conditions that I consider while picking up a location are:

- easily approachable for all

- good footfall

- have facilities like lift, parking etc.

What trend you see happening in India?

Casual Dining is a hit in India because, with the burgeoning consumer demands and the hunger for uniqueness, gastro pubs and lounges have become the go to places for youngsters and families alike. These places not only offer delicious and exclusive food and drinks, but also a comforting and vibrant ambience for everyone to have a memorable experience. Going forward, I think that comfort food, good music, innovative concepts or themes and creative marketing strategies will play vital roles in attracting customers in this ever growing industry.