BENGALURU: The year 2020 was one of major change for many industries. In the F&B sector, reinvention has been the buzz word everywhere but many restaurants have also closed shop. Joining them are Caperberry, Fava, and Fava Bistro in Koramangala, run by chef Abhijit Saha and co-founder Shruti Shibulal. The restaurants have been present in the city for more than a decade. According to Saha, the plans for closure were brewing prior to the pandemic, which only hastened it.
“I was thinking of exiting the business for a while now. Post the lockdown, when we re-opened, we hardly had any footfall in June and July. With high overheads and a large team (over 85 in total), we decided to move on,” says Saha. He has now taken up the role of consultant for the Kempegowda International Airport, where he will be involved with food and beverages for the lounges, which is scheduled to open shortly. “Eating habits have changed in the pandemic with a lot of attention being focused on healthy eating. So the kitchens and menus are being designed accordingly,” he says.
On Wednesday, Saha decided to make the announcement public, something he felt he owed to long-time patrons. “It was not an easy decision but we had to take a call due to unavoidable circumstances. We have thoroughly enjoyed the 12-year journey with all its ups and downs and hopefully have been able to create some great memories and experiences for our patrons and the city of Bengaluru,” he wrote on social media.
Shibulal, the daughter of SD Shibulal, former CEO of Infosys, had forayed into the fine-dining business after being introduced to Saha in 2008, who was then the executive chef at the Park Hotels, Bangalore. While Caperberry opened in March 2009, and was touted as one of the city’s first restaurants to experiment with molecular gastronomy, the partners opened Mediterranean restaurant Fava in 2010.