As per your observation and experience, how international cuisines are helping the Indian restaurants to grow manifolds?
Modern, global cuisines are adding a new and wide variety to our menu. It gives diverse options to the consumers to choose from, and giving them experience of global habitat.
Tell us about your journey of turning a restaurateur from a chef?
I am still a chef, as am very much involved in the kitchen still. My work is to play with flavours, decide menu of my restaurants, focus on ingredients and deliver the best quality food. I have worked on cruises with world class chefs and celebrity cooks in the kitchen, learning techniques of global menu. It was during those years, when I came to India on a vacation, and found that even Indians have developed taste for global cuisines. Thus, I partnered with a friend here and started my first restaurant in Bangalore.
How difficult it is to manage a restaurant, being a chef?
It is very difficult for a chef to manage a restaurant because only a chef is familiar with the technical detailing of the cuisine in the menu. A chef can easily manage the kitchen alone, but he cannot manage the other contributing processes and operations involved in running a business.
What according to you is the latest trend in Indian F&B industry?
Indian F&B industry is growing, but in cities, that too in metros and in big towns where people are willing to experiment. Global cuisine is being adopted by them easily, whereas in tier III and IV cities, consumers still prefers the authentic snacks and traditional food.
On the other hand, the trend of restro-pubs is high on demand in India where street food snacks have made a place in the 5 stars restaurants’ menu. At the same time, many restaurants are twisting local Indian flavours in their kitchen to introduce new avtar or form to the authentic one. So, we can say that going global is the new trend.
You are known for playing with European and Asian flavours, giving it a new fusion name ‘Eurasian Cuisine’. So, what are the techniques you apply to twist the two different cuisines to make it?
I take the best food or cuisine from Europe and mix Asian flavours in it. I mix the spices, ingredients and cuisines of a region with other to prepare best ‘Eurasian’ food.
What strategies you adopt in delivering high class food in a contemporary ambience?
With so many restaurants and cuisines entering Indian market, you have to keep your prices moderate enough to increase the footfall of your restaurant. Another important thing is to deliver quality food and never ever compromise on cost and quality of the ingredients used to prepare a dish. Moreover, location plays a pivotal role, which helps you make your own identity and build name of your brand in the market. These are few top strategies that we are using in our restaurant.
Dining out meant eating good food few years back and that was the benchmark. Today, it's so much more layered. Diners are conscious. They ask questions. They read ingredient labels. The pandemic accelerated this shift, but the roots were growing long before. With the OMO Soul Food Community, Rajan Sethi, Director at Bright Hospitality, leaned into this evolution. “It’s not just about serving good food; it’s also about being transparent, ethical, and responsible. The industry has matured and honestly, it's been exciting to grow with it,” he shared. Excerpts:
Building Experience-driven Places
I’ve always believed a restaurant should do more than serve. You should walk out with a feeling, not just a full stomach. At some point, I realized people don’t just remember what they ate but they remember how it made them feel. This inspired us to build spaces that spark nostalgia, start conversations, and feel like an extension of someone’s memory. We wanted to create a space where people could slow down, reconnect with food, and feel grounded. Every brand under Bright Hospitality is experience-first and OMO is just the most emotionally and ideologically charged expression of it.
Creating Uniqueness
Our USP is soul. Every brand under Bright Hospitality has its own heartbeat. We don’t replicate, we reimagine. Whether it’s OMO’s deeply intentional sustainability or Ikk Panjab’s emotional connection to heritage, we build from the inside out. We’re not in the F&B business; we’re in the business of stirring emotions through food. And that’s what keeps us ahead, we don’t chase trends, we create spaces people feel connected to.
Running a Multi-brand Venture
It’s like managing a symphony. Each brand plays its own instrument. Some are loud and bold like AMPM Coffee and Cocktail bar, others are nostalgic and poetic like Ikk Panjab, and then there’s OMO Soul Food Community, which is introspective, slow, and meaningful. I’ve learned to respect each brand’s rhythm. I try to avoid imposing any single leadership style across the board. I learn to listen more than I dictate. And most importantly, I’ve built a team that truly owns the vision. Decentralization and strategic delegation have been game-changers.
Sustainability is the Way Forward
OMO’s biggest innovation is its philosophy. We didn’t launch a product but we launched a way of thinking. The fact that every element, from Ngarum coffee to our Wild & Raw green bar, is curated to be climate-smart, traceable, and nurturing, that’s the real win. We’ve shown that comfort food can coexist with sustainability, that luxury doesn't need excess. The goal was never to preach, but to quietly lead by example. I think we’re doing that, plate by plate.
High on Expansion
OMO was always meant to be a movement, not just a café. We’re exploring more cities, but with caution and conviction. Our core intent is to never compromise on sourcing, on philosophy, or on storytelling, so expansion will be slow, thoughtful, and collaborative. On the Bright Hospitality front, we’re also planning to scale AMPM and Anyday through tech-forward, scalable formats, while continuing to grow Ikk Panjab as a flagbearer of regional heritage and food nostalgia.
Preserving Heritage
To me, authenticity is when intention and action match. It’s when the story you tell is the story you live. At OMO, it means celebrating millets without necessarily making it a marketing spin. At Ikk Panjab, it’s about preserving heirloom recipes without unnecessary reinvention. Whether it’s the spices we source or the values we uphold, if it doesn’t feel true, we don’t do it. That’s our north star.
Tech-Infusion
We’ve always been quiet adopters of tech which is never flashy, but always future-facing. Whether it's using analytics to minimize food waste at OMO or optimizing delivery routes for Anyday, tech sits behind our operations, not in front of it. We let experience lead and technology support. But yes, digital dashboards, loyalty ecosystems, and intelligent sourcing are now non-negotiables across our ecosystem.
How can restaurant brands maximize success with an online ordering system?
At OMO, we’ve chosen not to enter the delivery space because the kind of connection we’re trying to build with our guests just doesn’t fit in a box. It’s about slowing down, being present, and engaging with food as an experience, not just consumption. But as someone running multiple brands, I absolutely see the value of online ordering for formats like Anyday, and sometimes, AMPM or Ikk Panjab. Guests should feel your brand even when they’re eating on their couch. Eco-conscious packaging and a clear, consistent brand voice can turn an online order into a memorable moment.
What three tips would you offer to home-grown restaurant chains?
- Don’t scale before you soul-search - Know who you are before you grow.
- Respect your roots - Your authenticity is your edge.
- Hire slow, empower fast - Your team is your first guest. Treat them with trust.
12. What five trends do you foresee that will change dining behavior in India?
- Regenerative menus - Going beyond organic to actually heal ecosystems.
- Functional dining - Food that serves taste, health as well as storytelling goals.
- Ingredient-led loyalty - Guests will follow brands based on where they source from.
- Multi-sensory spaces - Dining spaces that evoke emotion, not just fill bellies.
- Brands with a voice - Silent service is out. People want opinionated brands with heart.
Dessert Therapy is one of Mumbai’s luxury dessert dining restaurant chains founded in 2016 by brothers Nisarg and Harsh Shah who started their journey from home baking, venturing into first outlet in 2020. The brand grew entirely through word-of-mouth and organic growth on social media, offering high-quality vegetarian desserts without using palm oil, gelatine, or artificial colors.
In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Harsh Shah, Co-Founder, Dessert Therapy talks about their brand journey, innovations and much more.
Riding on Uniqueness
Dessert Therapy has redefined indulgence in Mumbai with 20+ varieties of cheesecakes, specialty desserts, sundaes, and a curated selection of rich chocolates, craft coffees, and iced teas. With outlets in Malad, Juhu, Bandra, Fort and Ghatkopar, the brand continues to expand, bringing luxury dessert dining to more locations. Each outlet is designed with a unique ambiance, offering a fresh experience at every visit.
What’s in a Name?
We feel desserts are therapeutic and it can calm your mind and soul that’s why we named it as ‘Dessert Therapy’ as it resonates with the audiences.
USP of the Brand
We add 30% less sugar in our desserts and make our base with less sugar as dry fruits and fruits have sugar content which we use for plating and filling or for presentations. The shelf life of our desserts is 4-5 days, and we don’t use preservatives. One thing is that we don’t sell the desserts from the display shelf.
Innovation is Key
We have our central kitchen in Borivali from where we make the desserts, and then we supply to our outlets where plating is done as per the requirement. Every sauce is prepared in-house.
For us, every recipe is a result of experimentation, precision, and passion for dessert innovation—whether it’s developing over 20 unique cheesecake varieties or crafting seasonal collections that resonate with Indian palates. We have monthly specials, other than that we keep changing the menu once in 6 months.
The Challenges
The main challenge was staffing and educating the customers. Choosing a right location was one of the major issues knowing that every location has its own set of challenges.
Top 3 dessert trends
• Quick desserts are gaining popularity. Eg: Strawberries with Chocolate sauce
• Innovations in French patisseries, Kunafa, Baklava is seen
• Healthier dessert options are on rise
Expansion plans
We are a boot-strapped company. We have plans to open our outlets outside Mumbai. It can be in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Bangalore or in Pune.
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