The partnership between brothers Gaurav and Saurabh Luthra the duo behind F&B ventures Mama's Buoi, Romeo Lane and Dramebaaz keeps getting stronger, with the launch of a new outlet next month. However, the business of food was not their first career choice.
"Both of us studied engineering and worked as engineers for TCS and JK group. I worked for 10 years, and Gaurav Bhai was in the profession for 15. I wanted to open a café with a friend, so, in 2016 I jumped in and asked bhai to come along," says Saurabh (35).
But when Saurabh first proposed the idea, Gaurav (39) simply rejected it. "It's because both of us don't drink, and I had thought that starting this would be difficult for us as we both held white-collar jobs for a long time. Even our parents did not think it was a wise decision. We were married at that point of time and had kids, and we would have to leave our jobs. We had responsibilities and very limited savings," he said.
The duo finally took the plunge and launched Mama’s Buoi in 2016. Saurabh says, "I left the job in 2015, and Gaurav bhai took a sabbatical first and later left the job after Mama's Buoi was opened. God has been kind to us. We went on to open Dramebaaz, and outlets of Romeo Lane and Mama's Buoi and now we will open Romeo Lane next month Delhi's first cigar lounge, in Defence Colony."
All the ventures are in collaboration with other partners, but Romeo Lane is solely owned by the two. Gaurav says their combination works like fire. "Saurabh is aggressive, and I am calculative. He comes up with a lot of options and I sit on every option to gauge the pros and cons. We have different opinions on things at times, and our working styles don't match at all but that’s how we balance out. For instance, Saurabh can work for 48 hours at a stretch, while I take it lightly," he said.
Saurabh believes that we all have a race against time. "I want to achieve the more I can in those 24 hours. I get very loud when I don’t see the things happening the way I wanted, but Gaurav takes it calmly and is very kind to me. Because I learnt a basic thing at an early age. That there is a whole world to fight with, so why fight with your siblings? Together, we can win the world," adds Gaurav.
As owners of GS Foodstudio Pvt Ltd, the siblings have divided their work as per their strengths. "Bhaiya takes care of all the accounts, purchases, and the operations, new ventures, tie-ups, design and creative concepts are managed by me. But if his point is not valid, he realises it after some time and does it the way it has to be done," adds Saurabh, adding he never holds back during an argument.
Working out and having breakfast together is a shared habit, just as going for movies and travelling together. But the pandemic really weighed them down. "Many times negative thoughts creeped in. We also took some decisions that were harsh at that point of time and got proven to be right later on," adds Saurabh.
The patience to accept the other person’s fault is the key to a healthy partnership, believes the duo, who plan to open seven Romeo Lanes in Goa, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Kolkata. "Romeo Lane will have resorts, villas and lounges under one flagship," concludes Gaurav.
What Saurabh needs to improve on: His short-temperedness
What Gaurav needs to improve: He needs to work on his timelines. He is a bit casual with his approach
Something funny about Saurabh: He is an actor, and he can be funny any time.
Something funny about Gaurav: If allowed, he can sleep for days at a stretch