Rushad Ginwala understood very early in his hospitality career that the perfect combination of right ambience, theme and cuisine can act like a catalyst in making a restaurant stand out from the rest. The challenge lies in offering something unique, which would entice even a non-foodie to visit again.
With this zest Ginwala started Mirch Masala, a Bollywood-themed restaurant at Ahmedabad in 1992. His conviction brought him rich dividends and today after two decades, Mirch Masala boasts of eight outlets in Gujarat alone.
Within a few years of opening Mirch Masala, Ginwala decided to expand, but this time he chose to walk a path less travelled. His second restaurant, Tomato’s is inspired by the American culture of 50s and 60s and it offers a taste of Mexican and Italian cuisine.
On Mirch Masala that serves north Indian cuisine, Ginwala says, “There was a dearth of north Indian restaurant in Ahmedabad that would be strong on chaats, kebabs, curries and biryanis. Keeping with these specialties, I decided the look and feel of the restaurant should be that of a dhaba.’’ Ginwala further adds, “We procured Bollywood memorabilia like old posters, commissioned a traditional Bollywood poster artist to do the murals, and accessorised the interior with old truck tyres, auto-rickshaw horns, old transistors, traditional utensils, lamps, and even a Juhu-style shack for chaats, sweets and snacks.’’
Mirch Masala’s success gave Ginwala the confidence for Tomato’s. “Mexican and Italian cuisine was catching-up with the Indian gourmet in the 1990s and the time was right to start an Indian restaurant with an international flavour. To me the 1950s was the dream decade of America, with its imposing American cars, Elvis Presley topping the music charts and marvellous Hollywood movies such as The Ten Commandments lighting the silver screen,” he says. The restaurant has been designed like an old fashioned American Diner with red and black booths, chequered floors, neon signs, stainless steel bar stools, juke boxes, saxophones, bubble gum machines, etc.
Talking of the nitty gritty of the hospitality business Ginwala says, “Many theme restaurants fail because they follow a fad that dies after a while. Both of my restaurants have timeless themes. Bollywood is everyone’s favourite and the joy of dining in a rustic ambience with access to modern amenities appeals to all.” Similarly, Tomato’s has also been able to withstand the onslaught of time because it makes you feel nostalgic. The menu also adds its share of excitement to the whole mood with black and white photographs of Presley, Martin Luther King Jr, Chaplin, Monroe, Louis Armstrong, Beatles and Ali. The drinks have also been re-christened; Virgin Mary has been named Monroe’s Magic, the alcohol-free Pinacolada is called Lennon’s Imagination, a mango mocktail is named Ali’s Punch and a lime soda with cream is called JFK.
Ginwala’s babies are now stepping out of Gujarat. Recently a Marwari industrialist bought Mirch Masala’s franchise and opened an outlet in South Kolkata. On expanding the business through franchisees, Ginwala says that “the central theme of the restaurants stays the same, but every outlet should have its own look and feel so that there is a novelty attached to it.” Even for the other outlets in Gujarat, Ginwala has tried to do something different with every one of them. When the Mirch Masala outlet at SG Road was opened, he and interior designer, Ariane Ginwala, hunted through bazaars, warehouses, scrap dealers and havelis looking for old furniture, carved doors, wooden columns, ceiling pieces, old gramophones, and Bollywood posters. “We have collected enough of all this to keep doing up many more restaurants,’’ says Ginwala. “We have Mirch Masala restaurants on all the happening roads of Ahmedabad — CG Road, SG Road, the residential area of Maningar, the upcoming New CG Road and the fast growing Anandnagar Road. Regardless of our growth, we stay committed to going the extra mile to make our food — whether it is the brown sauce for skillets at Tomato’s or the marinades and masala blends for kebabs at Mirch Masala, the taste of the finished dish tells the story of what separates us from the rest,’’ Ginwala says. He now plans to open more outlets of Tomato’s.