BENGALURU

About Restaurant Awards

Restaurant Awards 2024 is the top honour bestowed upon the greatest in the industry who have tirelessly dedicated their lives walking an extra mile to raise the bar of the Food & Beverage Sector. The awards will go to various regions of the country physically,to honor and applaud the great work done by foodpreneurs and chefs around the country.

This is a precious opportunity to excel your food & beverage business and hear the elevating tunes of applause by the whole fraternity. These awards will put spotlight on exemplary contributions made by profound professionals and passionate restaurant brands. This recognition will enhance your business credibility and would help in restructuring your brand image. Submissions are now open for Restaurant Awards 2024, browse through the appropriate category and region and nominate yourself today.

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Awards

Restaurant Awards premium focus is to create recognition for various industry experts.

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Conference

The conference brings new perspective on Scaling up your Restaurant Business.

02

Networking

Influential restaurateurs , thought leaders, innovative suppliers and industry titans join the show. They’re all here.

03

Knowledge

Hear intriguing insights on the latest insights on Food Industry and visionary experts. Sit back and learn as Restaurateurs.

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  • 8+

    Editions

  • 2500

    Delegates

  • 70+

    Award Categories

  • 50+

    Speakers

  • 20+

    Sessions

Explore Award Categories

Restaurant Awards

Recognizing the best restaurant with delectable food and a delightful ambience.

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Nightlife Awards

This Category recognises Night Clubs/Bars that demonstrates the best ambience,food & liquor.

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Cafe & Bakery Awards

This category recognises the best bakeries which offers outstanding value, excellent food and appropriate service.

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Design Awards

This category recognises a Restaurant/Bar/Bakery that has the best interiors

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Special Awards

This category recognises caterers/unique concepts/customer experiences and cloud kitchens.

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Editors Choice Awards

This category recognises restaurateurs/chefs/sommeliers who have demonstrated outstanding qualities.

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Bengaluru Edition Jury 2024

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Ritu Marya

Editor-in-Chief, Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific

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Ritu Marya

Editor-in-Chief, Entrepreneur India & Asia-Pacific

Ritu Marya is the Editor- in- Chief for Entrepreneur India-Asia-Pacific and Franchise India Media, a group company of Franchise India Holdings Limited. She is the Group Editor and leads the editorial desk which comprises business magazines including Entrepreneur, The Franchising World and Retailer together with the Digital media arm of Entrepreneur.com, Franchiseindia.com, wellnessindia.com, indianretailer.com and restaurantindia.in. In her tryst with Business Journalism over the last 16 years, Ritu is regarded as an authority on Startups, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Fintech, AI, Blockchain, Consumer Businesses, Retail, Luxury to Education, Restaurant, Funding and more. In her role as the Group Editor she meets and interacts with Leading Indian and Global Entrepreneurs and thought-leaders while tracking Startup and Entrepreneurial and consumer business landscape in India and Asia-Pacific.

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Abhijit Saha

Chef-Entrepreneur, Restauranteur and Author

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Abhijit Saha

Chef-Entrepreneur, Restauranteur and Author

He is the Founder & Principal Consultant of Ace Hospitality & Consulting and has recently opened his Neo Indian Fine Dining Restaurant ‘Ammakase’ at 1 Raffles Place, Singapore and LYFE Restaurant & Pizzeria in Whitefield, Bangalore.
Abhijit Saha was awarded “Chef of The Year 2023’ at the Times Food & Nightlife Awards. The coach and mentor of Team India for Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific 2018; Guest Judge of MasterChef India and Senior Judge of Young Chefs Olympiad – Abhijit Saha was inducted as a fellow of the ‘IIHM International College of Distinguished Fellows’ by International Hospitality Council, London in 2021. As the Principal F&B Consultant of Bangalore Airport, he has been leading the Food & Beverage Development work for Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 during the last five years.
As founder-director of Avant Garde Hospitality from 2008 to 2020 he conceptualized, executed and managed award-winning and critically acclaimed restaurants such as Caperberry (Modernist European Cuisine), and Fava (Mediterranean Cuisine) in Bangalore. His Michelin recommended Signature Indian Restaurant ‘SAHA’ (2014-18) in Singapore was awarded the Epicurean Star Award for Best New Restaurant, 2014 by the Restaurant Association of Singapore. He has provided consulting services and technical knowhow to several Red Rhino Craft Brewery, The Pizza Bakery, Tamara Resorts, Serai Resorts and Dream Cruises Hong Kong. Three of his recent projects Glass Kitchen & Bar, The Pet People Café and Over Coffee have won the ‘Times Food Award’ for Best Modern Indian Restaurant 2022, Best Plant Based-Healthy Restaurant 2022 and Best Cafe 2024.

Anand Ramanathan

Partner and Leader, Consumer Products & Retail Sector, South Asia, Deloitte

Anand Ramanathan

Partner and Leader, Consumer Products & Retail Sector, South Asia, Deloitte

Anand has around 16 years of experience from both an industry and consulting perspective. Anand is currently a Partner with the Strategy & Operations practice in Deloitte based out of Bangalore. He is a graduate from BITS Pilani and has completed his MBA from IIM Indore and PhD from IIM Bangalore. Anand started his career with GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. He has been in sales and brand roles for nutritional food brands such as Horlicks & Boost. Prior to Deloitte, Anand has been a part of the management consulting practice at KPMG for the past 8 years and has worked on over 90 engagements. His work has primarily been in the consumer markets domain across various sectors such as Retail, FMCG, Agribusiness, and Education. Anand led the channel and salesforce effectiveness solution for the practice.

Bengaluru Edition Our Speakers

Rashmi Daga

Founder & CEO, FreshMenu

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Pravesh Pandey

Co-Founder, Roxie

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Pravesh Pandey

Co-Founder, Roxie

Having over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, restaurateur Pravesh Pandey's latest venture, Roxie is making waves in the IT city. Helmed as one of the top 30 bars in the country, the 35,000 sq. ft., it is the largest craft brew house in India. Apart from co-founding Roxie, Pravesh has served as a director at the Byg Brewsky Brewing Company in Bengaluru as he has a has a thorough understanding of hospitality management, business development, financial management, operational excellence, brand management, marketing & strategy.
His insight into the F&B industry led him to become the Vice President of Restaurant Success at Zomato. In an older stint, he was the director of operations for both, Brigade Hospitality as well as JSM Corporation.
Pravesh conceptualised Roxie on the experience of meeting Roxie Catteneo on a cruise ship (where he worked as a Maitre De) in 2003. She taught him many life lessons, and showed him the value of relationships and people. The brewhouse, Roxie is an ode to the lady who transformed many lives, including his. The restaurant is inspired by renditions of recipes that she had picked up from her travels as well her traditional family preparations.

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Abhijit Saha

Chef-Entrepreneur, Restauranteur and Author

abhijit

Abhijit Saha

Chef-Entrepreneur, Restauranteur and Author

He is the Founder & Principal Consultant of Ace Hospitality & Consulting and has recently opened his Neo Indian Fine Dining Restaurant ‘Ammakase’ at 1 Raffles Place, Singapore and LYFE Restaurant & Pizzeria in Whitefield, Bangalore.
Abhijit Saha was awarded “Chef of The Year 2023’ at the Times Food & Nightlife Awards. The coach and mentor of Team India for Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific 2018; Guest Judge of MasterChef India and Senior Judge of Young Chefs Olympiad – Abhijit Saha was inducted as a fellow of the ‘IIHM International College of Distinguished Fellows’ by International Hospitality Council, London in 2021. As the Principal F&B Consultant of Bangalore Airport, he has been leading the Food & Beverage Development work for Terminal 1 & Terminal 2 during the last five years.
As founder-director of Avant Garde Hospitality from 2008 to 2020 he conceptualized, executed and managed award-winning and critically acclaimed restaurants such as Caperberry (Modernist European Cuisine), and Fava (Mediterranean Cuisine) in Bangalore. His Michelin recommended Signature Indian Restaurant ‘SAHA’ (2014-18) in Singapore was awarded the Epicurean Star Award for Best New Restaurant, 2014 by the Restaurant Association of Singapore. He has provided consulting services and technical knowhow to several Red Rhino Craft Brewery, The Pizza Bakery, Tamara Resorts, Serai Resorts and Dream Cruises Hong Kong. Three of his recent projects Glass Kitchen & Bar, The Pet People Café and Over Coffee have won the ‘Times Food Award’ for Best Modern Indian Restaurant 2022, Best Plant Based-Healthy Restaurant 2022 and Best Cafe 2024.

Prasanna Kumar

Co-Founder and CEO, BLR Brewing Co

Teja Chekuri

Global Entrepreneur And Managing Partner, Ironhill India

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Mahesh Reddy

CEO, GoPizza India

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Mahesh Reddy

CEO, GoPizza India

Mahesh Reddy is the CEO at Korean Pizza Chain GOPIZZA. Before joining GOPIZZA as CEO, he was National Head at Café Coffee Day for almost 17 years. He has overall 23 years of experience working in the QSR sector. He is a graduate from Christ University, Bengaluru

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Shakir Haq

CEO, NKP Empire Ventures

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Shakir Haq

CEO, NKP Empire Ventures

Shakir Haq is the CEO of NKP Empire and is steadfast in his business principles and strategy, Shakir is a big proponent of learning from constant experimentation. His extensive knowledge of restaurant business management and strategic acumen, nurtured by his education at IIM Bangalore, fuel constant pursuit of growth and innovation at NKP Restaurants. A 3rd Gen Entrepreneur, his vision is to create a Global Food Company.

Nidhi Singh

Co-Founder, Samosa Singh

Nidhi Singh

Co-Founder, Samosa Singh

"Think Big! Trust Yourself and Make it Happen”, this is the mantra that Nidhi Singh, Co-Founder of Samosa Singh lives by.
Nidhi was heading the Business development vertical for a US based healthcare company, BioXcel Corporation. She worked a decade before quitting her satisfying job to start Samosa Singh.
She aspires to offer nostalgic and Indian delicacies both online and offline. She believes that the goal is to recreate and dominate the Indian snack category.
Her experience has enabled her to establish strong client bases that have assisted in reaching out at the corporate level for the business's growth potential. Her management and sales experience aided exponential growth and was critical in steering the startup by establishing a strong and healthy brand image.
Having a vision for developing healthy and hygienic food in India. Nidhi recognized a huge market opportunity and reached out to 10,000 customers in one day, delivering the samosas.

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Sundeep Singh

Founder & CEO, Bogmalo Foods and Hospitality LLP

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Sundeep Singh

Founder & CEO, Bogmalo Foods and Hospitality LLP

Sundeep Singh is the CEO and Co-founder of Uncle Peter’s Pancakes with 40 outlets across 15 cities in India. Sundeep has a rich experience in the food industry and aims at delivering the best food experience to customers through his brands under Bogmalo Foods & Hospitality LLP.
Sundeep is an engineer from BITS Pilani Goa and started his journey in the food industry from college itself. He is extremely passionate about this industry and is also a foodie. Considering his deep rooted interest in this industry, he launched a corporate catering company in 2014 and delivered homely means to 100+ companies in Bengaluru for 3 years. This experience helped him to understand supply chain, operations and customer needs in depth. Post this stint, Sundeep then planned to foray into the B2C food industry along with his Co-founder, Akash by launching key brands like Uncle Peter’s Pancakes, Chainama and Sub Spot through Franchise model.
Sundeep has a clear vision of delivering differentiated food experience to his customers. He is passionate about building brands from the ground up, has an eye for detail, is extremely determined and specializes in strategy and ops to bring his ideas and vision into existence. Three key building blocks for this vision are Operational excellence through curating SOPs, leveraging technology to drive great experience and strong brand building to drive brand awareness and customer reach.

Anand Ramanathan

Partner and Leader, Consumer Products & Retail Sector, South Asia, Deloitte

Anand Ramanathan

Partner and Leader, Consumer Products & Retail Sector, South Asia, Deloitte

Anand has around 16 years of experience from both an industry and consulting perspective. Anand is currently a Partner with the Strategy & Operations practice in Deloitte based out of Bangalore. He is a graduate from BITS Pilani and has completed his MBA from IIM Indore and PhD from IIM Bangalore. Anand started his career with GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. He has been in sales and brand roles for nutritional food brands such as Horlicks & Boost. Prior to Deloitte, Anand has been a part of the management consulting practice at KPMG for the past 8 years and has worked on over 90 engagements. His work has primarily been in the consumer markets domain across various sectors such as Retail, FMCG, Agribusiness, and Education. Anand led the channel and salesforce effectiveness solution for the practice.

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Vinay Chandrashekar

Founder, Long Boat Brewing Co

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Vinay Chandrashekar

Founder, Long Boat Brewing Co

A beer lover and founder of Longboat Brewing Co. Microbrewery in Bangalore, Vinay is an experienced US Tax professional with 3 years along with international experience in the field of US tax with the Big4. Manager in the field of real estate and development for more than a year. Has developed extensive project management skills and skills including decision making and team building.

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Deepak Jeena

Director- Food and Beverage, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru

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Deepak Jeena

Director- Food and Beverage, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru

With an illustrious career spanning over a decade in the food and beverage industry, Deepak brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of achieving revenue targets while ensuring an exceptional guest experience. Currently, as the Director of Food and Beverages, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, he will be overseeing the Food and Beverage operations for the restaurants at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru, including Bengaluru Baking Company, Alba, Spice Terrace, JW Kitchen, Merak Brewhouse, and Uno Izakaya.
Known for his unwavering commitment to excellence in operations, quality, hygiene, and staff training, Deepak is a seasoned leader in food and beverage management. His profound understanding of the intricacies of food and beverage operations and his knack for driving business success underscore his dedication and leadership.
His remarkable career includes pivotal roles at prestigious establishments such as Director of Food and Beverage at The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, and various other key positions at renowned hotels and resorts.

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Avinash Kapoli

Co-Founder, Kompany

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Avinash Kapoli

Co-Founder, Kompany

Avinash, a well-renowned and respected beverage expert with an illustrious career spanning 14 years, is an inspiring figure in India's cocktail industry. Renowned for his innovative approach and dedication to quality, he has earned acclaim both nationally and internationally.
Having collaborated with some of the world's leading liquor brands, his expertise has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of bars, restaurants, and the cocktail culture across India. His tenure as a key figure in the industry has seen him contribute significantly to the success of various renowned establishments such as Scene, Prime Golf, Ohana, House of Commons and many more.
As the co-founder of Kompany, he continues to demonstrate his leadership and commitment to excellence. If those weren’t enough hats to wear, he is also the host of Cocktail Klub, the industry's favourite podcast, where experts share their stories and skills. A valuable resource for aspiring professionals, the podcast showcases stories of success in the food and beverage industry.
In addition to his role at Kompany, Avinash has been instrumental in the establishment and success of other notable ventures, including Jamming Goat and SOKA. These endeavours further attest to his entrepreneurial acumen and his profound impact on the industry at large.

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Sumit Wahall

COO, True Palate Pvt Ltd

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Sumit Wahall

COO, True Palate Pvt Ltd

A veteran in the hospitality industry, Sumit Wahall, COO, True Palate Pvt Ltd, brings with him over 15 years of experience.
Born and raised in Delhi, Sumit has done MBA in Hospitality Management, post commencing his career with Marriott Welcome Hotel, Saket in 2002. Ever since then, he has worked across renowned brands in India like The Imperial, Shangri-La Hotel, Hyatt Regency Delhi, Sahara Star Hotel Mumbai amongst others.
Before joining True Palate Cafe, Sumit spearheaded Azure Hospitality as the President for 11 years, wherein he looked after the operations for both India and Nepal. His integrated role involved looking after the Operations, Sales & Marketing as well as Training & Administration work.

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Ramya Ravi

Co-Founder, RNR Donne Biryani

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Ramya Ravi

Co-Founder, RNR Donne Biryani

Ramya Ravi is the co-founder behind the delicious and mouth-watering RNR Donne Biryani in Bengaluru. She's not just a businesswoman, but a force to be reckoned with in the food industry. Ramya's journey began with her completing her Bachelor's degree from Christ University, followed by a short term course in Harvard University. With an experience of eight years in the hospitality industry along with a passion for food, she knew she had to create something special that would set her apart from the rest. And that's exactly what she did.
In the midst of the lockdown, Ramya along with her sister Shweta, launched RNR Donne Biryani, and it quickly became the talk of the town. The unique blend of spices and flavours, combined with the traditional donne biryani recipe and unique packaging, has created a biryani experience like no other. RNR Donne Biryani spearheads the new era of popularizing Donne Biryani in the organized sector, a vibrant, throbbing market with people wishing to explore and experiment with various taste palettes.

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Abilash Bellur

Co-founder, Biggies Burger

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Abilash Bellur

Co-founder, Biggies Burger

Abilash Bellur is the co-founder and serves as the COO of Biggies Burger, leveraging over a decade of operational management experience to drive the brand's success. Beginning his career with prominent apparel retail brands, Abilash transitioned to become an early franchisee of Biggies Burger before joining the founding team in 2016. In his current role, he oversees key functions such as franchise store operations, audit, and supply chain management, emphasizing operational excellence at every step.
With a relentless commitment to optimizing efficiencies and enhancing customer experiences, Abilash plays a pivotal role in shaping Biggies Burger's trajectory. His strategic vision and hands-on approach have propelled the brand to new heights, establishing him as a valuable asset within the organization and a dynamic leader in the realm of operational management.

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Suvir Saran

Culinary Director, Bastian

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Suvir Saran

Culinary Director, Bastian

New Delhi-born-and-based culinary authority Suvir Saran is the author of three celebrated cookbooks: Indian Home Cooking, American Masala, and Masala Farm. Chef Suvir has created, curated, and crafted F&B concepts, menus, catered events and culinary conferences globally.

Chef Saran created ‘Devi’ in Manhattan, the first of 18 restaurants that won a Michelin Star when the guide first came to North America. Devi was also the first non-Northern European and Indian restaurant to get a Michelin Star in North America.

His recipes and writings have been featured in countless national and international newspapers and magazines and are read and loved world over.

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Sumit Nair

GM, IFFCO Group

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Sumit Nair

GM, IFFCO Group

Sumit Nair is a growth-oriented General Manager at IFFCO Group, a leading food ingredients manufacturer and distributor in India and abroad. He has over 20 years of rich experience in various successful multinational food companies, including Coca Cola, TUV, Diversey, Brenntag Ingredients, Doehler and Newly Weds foods India.
He has been instrumental in creating a 5-year culinary ambition plan for IFFCO Culinary in India and growing the culinary BU in region as a change agent. He was instrumental in setting up the first CeC for culinary in India for IFFCO very recently.
Before IFFCO he was the Country Director for Newly Weds Foods India and worked for 9 years with the group. He joined Newly Weds Foods, a global leader in food coatings and seasonings, in 2014 as the Commercial Head for India, and was promoted to the Country Manager role in 2017. He was responsible for setting up a world-class manufacturing plant, a R&D centre, and a culinary centre in India, and growing the market share and revenue of the company significantly. He led and mentored a team of over 100 employees, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.

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Nandakumar Janaki

ASM, Nestle

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Nandakumar Janaki

ASM, Nestle

I have 6 years of experience in Nestle Professional’s Out Of Home business across channels in Food services , Vending and Key Accounts Management” Nanda leads Nestle Professional’s sales in Bangalore.

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Jaineet Kalra

Key Account Manager- South, Nestle Professional

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Jaineet Kalra

Key Account Manager- South, Nestle Professional

Currently serving as the Key Account Manager-South for Nestle Professional with a strong background in sales. He brings 6 years of experience in sales nurturing and expanding key accounts.

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Mahesh Padala

Culinary Leader & Director of Operations

Mahesh

Mahesh Padala

Culinary Leader & Director of Operations

Chef Mahesh Padala is a culinary virtuoso, whose journey through the realm of food science began in the vibrant streets of Vizag. From a young age, he found himself enchanted by the wonders of science, yet it was the allure of the kitchen that truly captured his heart. With a tattoo as a testament to his dedication, Mahesh's world revolves around the kitchen. Inspired by culinary giants like Marco Pierre White and Raheel Ahmad, Mahesh embarked on a culinary odyssey, traveling across the globe, from the vibrant streets of China to the bustling kitchens of the USA and Thailand. These experiences enriched his craft, allowing him to blend diverse cooking philosophies into his own authentic style. From European delicacies to the aromatic spices of South and North Indian cuisine, Mahesh's expertise knows no bounds. Rooted in simplicity and authenticity, his cooking is a tribute to his grandmother's teachings, reflecting a profound respect for tradition while embracing innovation. With over a decade of experience at Marriott International and in overseeing standalone restaurants, Chef Mahesh Padala's culinary artistry shines brightly. His repertoire reflects not only corporate expertise but also an unmistakable entrepreneurial spirit.

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S. Ramakrishna Adiga

Owner, Vidyarthi Bhavan

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S. Ramakrishna Adiga

Owner, Vidyarthi Bhavan

S. Ramakrishna Adiga, with over six decades of experience in the restaurant industry, stands as a pioneering figure, having achieved remarkable success. Hailing from a Vedic lineage of priests in Shankaranarayana village near Kundapura, Udupi district, Mr. Ramakrishna Adiga embarked on his journey to Bengaluru in 1962 at the age of 17, following the completion of his 10th standard education. Under the mentorship of Shandi Shankaranarayana Bhat at Hotel Lakshmi Bhavan in the Cantonment area of Bengaluru, Mr. Adiga gained comprehensive knowledge of restaurant operations, laying the groundwork for his future entrepreneurial endeavours. Driven by a profound passion for establishing his own restaurant, and recognizing an opportunity, Mr. Adiga bought over and took on the responsibility of managing Vidyarthi Bhavan in March 1970, which was previously under the stewardship of Parameshwara Ural. Since then, Vidyarthi Bhavan has evolved into a renowned establishment, garnering nationwide acclaim for its distinctive service style, impeccable cleanliness, delectable cuisine, and customer-centric approach. Originally established in 1943 as a humble eatery catering to students (hence its name), Vidyarthi Bhavan has transcended its origins to become an integral part of Bengaluru's culinary legacy. Despite a change in management, the restaurant has retained its name, traditions, and recipes, along with the steadfast dedication of many long-serving employees. Its enduring popularity and enduring demand stand as testaments to its unwavering commitment to taste, flavour, and culinary excellence. Beyond his contributions to the restaurant industry, Mr. Adiga has also made significant contributions to the society through his social service. He has been actively involved in various philanthropic initiatives aimed at supporting the underprivileged sections of society, promoting education, and fostering community development. Through his leadership and generosity, Mr. Adiga has left a lasting impact on the lives of many, embodying the spirit of compassion and service to others. In addition to his culinary achievements and philanthropic endeavours, Mr. Adiga also serves as the President of the Dakshina Kannada Sanatana Dharma Sangha, furthering his commitment to serving t he community and upholding traditional values.

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Shubhankar Otta

Senior Brand Manager - Bakery & Food Services, Cargill

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Shubhankar Otta

Senior Brand Manager - Bakery & Food Services, Cargill

Shubhankar Otta has 13 years of experience in brand marketing and retail marketing. He joined Cargill as Brand Manager in 2018 and has worked on building the NatureFresh Professional Bakery portfolio and the Cocoa & Chocolates business in his close to 6 years of association with Cargill. Currently working as a Senior Brand Manager- Bakery & Branded Food Services, Shubhankar played an instrumental role in achieving business goals for Bakery & branded food service by Product Launches, Innovative Marketing Ideas & Customer led engagement activations.
Prior to Cargill he has worked with Future Retail and Pantaloons Fashion & Retail across category management, retail marketing and consumer activations.

Bengaluru Edition Previous Speakers

Vikram Ramasubramanian

Partner, Inflection Point Ventures

Vikram Ramasubramanian

Partner, Inflection Point Ventures

As a Director in KPMG’s Deal Advisory practice, he managed mergers & acquisitions, and restructuring engagements advising clients across Deal Strategy, Strategic Transformation, Synergy & Cost Optimization, and other Process Initiatives.
He worked as the Group Finance Manager – India and Thailand at Magna Cosma International, where he led the M&A, Strategic Finance, and ERP Implementation activities, development of cost models, and FP&A function across the region.
He has also worked in EY (Financial Due Diligence) and PwC (Audit) teams in the early part of his career, specializing in Industrial Manufacturing, IT & ITES sectors.

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Jinraj Adyanthaya

Head - Key Accounts & Retail One - Nestle Professional

Jinraj Adyanthaya

Head - Key Accounts & Retail One - Nestle Professional

Experienced professional with 13+ years of experience in FMCGs like PepsiCo, Del Monte and Nestle in both B2B and B2C space with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry and Management consulting with Accenture. Skilled in P&L Management, Brand Management, Media Planning & Execution, Category development (core + innovation), Customer/Consumer Insights, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Trade Marketing, Business Development and B2B Marketing (Food Services industry), Management Consulting.

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Biraja Prasad Rout

Founder, Biggies Burger

Biraja Prasad Rout

Founder, Biggies Burge

Biraja Prasad Rout is the founder of Biggies Burger. Being an entrepreneur with a passion for global food, Biraja was appalled to see the sordid state of affairs especially in the Indian grilled burger segment. With global chains serving up fried burgers, he took it upon himself to provide customer with healthier, grilled burgers. With the country fed up with the taste of fried burgers, Biggies Burger came up with the grilled burgers.
Having over 6 years of experience in automation, Biraja aims to utilize his experience to standardize the systems and processes so as to build India’s very own QSR chain that revolves around standardization and SOPs. He observed that there was a demand for grilled burgers in the QSR market. Biraja started the first Biggies Burger unit at Electronic City, in the year 2011. The concept of grilled burgers was first introduced to the Indian consumers, and received widespread recognition. Additionally, there was a very great reception for grilled burgers, which has since gone on to become the core USP of Biggies Burger.
Having taken baby steps during the initial years to grasp a better understanding of the nuances of the QSRs, the brand has gradually made its mark among the populace. Perhaps the best testament to the success of the brand is the fact that post adopting the franchising route in 2016. BIGGIES BURGER is the largest homegrown grilled burger chain in India with the brand currently operating 120+ stores in 23 cities across 15 states.
Biraja has since undertaken constant innovations and product development, ensuring uniformity in quality and taste across all locations. Not only in burger making, Biraja is also striving to ease the burger store franchising process for those that want to explore the QSR business opportunities. Adding to it is that Biggies Burger has enabled its franchisees that come from varied backgrounds, comprising of government officials, army personnel, IT professionals etc. to become successful in QSR business.

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Chef Vikas Seth

Chef & Culinary Director, Embassy Leisure and Entertainment Projects LLP (Embassy Group)

Chef Vikas Seth

Chef & Culinary Director, Embassy Leisure and Entertainment Projects LLP (Embassy Group)

A well–travelled chef with an in-depth understanding of culinary concepts and a strong passion for innovation. IHM Mumbai alumnus, advance culinary skills honed at the Culinary Institute of America, comes with over two decades of work experience. Chef Vikas Seth has been felicitated with the most coveted ‘Chef of the Year – 2022’ award by the prestigious Times Food & Nighlife Awards.

Chef Seth is now the Culinary Director at Embassy Leisure, he has been the brains behind the multi-award winning restaurants Sanchez Restaurante & Cantina, Sriracha – Contemporary Pan-Asian Dining, HopsHaus – Botanical Brewery + Kitchen, Zest Besopke Catering, F&B outlets @ BLVD Club – Embassy Boulevard, Eden Café at Embassy Springs, amongst others.

Chef Vikas Seth A truly multi-faceted chef and member of the prestigious International association of gastronomy as ‘Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’. He has authored books for private circulation “The Modern Indian Odyssey” and a unique twin cover brand book ‘Sanchez & Sriracha’. Chef Seth has been listed in the ‘Top Food Entrepreneurs’ book by Restaurant India, he is the winner of Upper Crust Food and Wine Celebrity Chef Competition. Chef Seth was one of the Super Chefs on the Sony TV telecast Cooking Reality Show - ‘Sanjeev Kapoor Ke Kitchen Khiladi’.

Chef Seth, has extensive experience in international product development as well, creating global flavours for every kitchen through the frozen food and ready-to-eat medium. These products were widely recognized globally and awarded a number of prestigious awards, namely in Boston Seafood Show and European Seafood Exposition in Brussels.

Rashmi Daga

Founder & CEO, FreshMenu

Mahesh Reddy

CEO, GoPizza India

Karan Kapur

Executive Director, K Hospitality Corp

Karan Kapur

Executive Director, K Hospitality Corp

Karan Kapur has been with K Hospitality Corp since the past decade, and is part of the strategic decision making, business development and operations strategy roll out for the group.
With an expertise in business administration, finance and economics, backed by his education in various universities abroad, Karan believes in being a hands-on leader and believes in actively participating in the operations of the group to facilitate growth and expansion.
Karan Kapur is the Executive Director of K Hospitality Corp, one of India’s largest home-grown hospitality and food service corporations.
A graduate from Northwestern University in Economics, and from Kellogg School of Management, where he received a Certification in Finance. After setting up new businesses for the organization, Karan returned back to the US to acquire his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
He played an active part in the setup and launch of Travel Food Services, the travel retail vertical under K Hospitality Corp.
Karan currently heads the Indian and International food services verticals of K Hospitality Corp which include some of the acclaimed brands – Copper Chimney, Bombay Brasserie, Punkah House, Bombay Borough, Blue Sea Banquets, Pavitra Catering, amongst others; along with the recent foray into International QSR growth with the launch of Domino's Pizza in the African subcontinent.
At a group level, Karan is part of the strategic decision making, business development and operations strategy roll out for K Hospitality Corp, and has played an active role is building the organizational capabilities to scale up to over 6000 employees today.

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Pravesh Pandey

Founder & Director, Handcrafted Restaurants Private Ltd

Prasanna Kumar

Co-Founder and CEO, BLR Brewing Co

Nidhi Singh

Co-Founder, Samosa Singh

Nidhi Singh

Co-Founder, Samosa Singh

"Think Big! Trust Yourself and Make it Happen”, this is the mantra that Nidhi Singh, Co-Founder of Samosa Singh lives by.
Nidhi was heading the Business development vertical for a US based healthcare company, BioXcel Corporation. She worked a decade before quitting her satisfying job to start Samosa Singh.
She aspires to offer nostalgic and Indian delicacies both online and offline. She believes that the goal is to recreate and dominate the Indian snack category.
Her experience has enabled her to establish strong client bases that have assisted in reaching out at the corporate level for the business's growth potential. Her management and sales experience aided exponential growth and was critical in steering the startup by establishing a strong and healthy brand image.
Having a vision for developing healthy and hygienic food in India. Nidhi recognized a huge market opportunity and reached out to 10,000 customers in one day, delivering the samosas.

Sandipan Mitra

Co-Founder and CEO, HungerBox

Sandipan Mitra

Co-Founder and CEO, HungerBox

Sandipan Mitra is the Chief Executive Officer of HungerBox – an institutional food technology company he co-founded in 2016, with Uttam Kumar, which helps institutions manage their F&B services effectively. It serves marquee clients across various sectors like corporates, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, malls, and multiplexes with the help of a comprehensive product suite built from the ground up to offer a seamless, digital cafeteria experience.
HungerBox currently manages over 550 cafeterias and works with more than 900 food partners to serve a user base of 1.2 million and handles 12 million orders every month. HungerBox counts 8 of the top 11 private sector employers in the country as its clients.
Prior to starting HungerBox, Sandipan co-founded HungryZone - South East Asia’s 1st online food ordering portal which saw a successful exit when it got acquired by FoodPanda.
An MBA by profession, Sandipan has worked with organizations like Wipro and Yahoo before venturing into his entrepreneurial journey. Fortune India featured Sandipan in its 2021, 40 Under 40 list of India's Brightest Young Entrepreneurs.

Akshay Luthria

Managing Partner, Street Storyss and Sindh Kitchen

Akshay Luthria

Managing Partner, Street Storyss and Sindh Kitchen

Akshay Luthria is a dynamic industry professional and restaurateur with over 15 years of experience.
His passion for hospitality projects led him to operate as a partner at Lemp Brew by Lemp Brewing Co., America’s first Lager beer brewers and one the most legendary brewing brands.
He has also opened his successfully running restaurants in Bengaluru and operating as a managing partner at Street Storyss and Sindh Kitchen.

Chef Dr. Avin Thaliath

Pastry Chef, Co-founder and Director of Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts

Chef Dr. Avin Thaliath

Pastry Chef, Co-founder and Director of Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts

The bakery industry in India is the largest of the food processing segments with an estimated annual turnover of about $ 7.60 billion in 2020. The growth and spread of the bakery market have thrived on highly skilled bakers who have rattled the global industry as well.
Chef Avin Thaliath is one such name all pastry chefs and chocolatiers reckons with. An educationist at heart, the talented Chef’s mission is to spread joy with his insights and motivate others to find solace in this beautiful form of art.
Currently serving as the Co-Founder and Director of Academics at Lavonne Academy of Baking Science and Pastry Arts, India, Chef Avin’s desire and ambition to set up a specialized baking school in India, came true when Lavonne was born.
Hailing from Kerala, Chef Avin’s mother played a pivotal role in shaping his career and largely influenced him to dive into the culinary world. He was awarded a bronze medal in 2004 during his Bachelor of Hotel Management degree from Bangalore University. He further stimulated his field of interest, by taking up advanced level program in Chocolaterie and Sugar at Feves the Choco Creation of Pastry Fine Arts, Malaysia. He also holds the credit of being a Golden Certificate Awardee of Vatel Scholarship, Nimes, France.
After his studies in France, Chef Avin also interned under Chef Antonio Texeira before working with Le Granier A Pain, Paris, Paris Mamamia, Institut Vatel, Nimes and also Rhone Valley in France. After his stint in France, he worked with Indian giants like The Taj Hotels and The Orchid Hotels. Chef Avin was also appointed as a member of WACS (World Association of Chef’s Society), SICA (South Indian Culinary Association), and IFCA (Indian Federation of Chefs Association).
Rising up as a skilled dignitary in his field, Chef Avin steered the grounds of academic prowess as author of a number of academic journals, books, and monographs and has presented award-winning papers at top-level industry summits. He also served as assistant professor at the prestigious Christ University, Bangalore, India and has been associated with WorldSkills Org, since 2016 and has been representing India with skills from across the country at a global level. As someone who believes learning never stops, he competed his PhD in oenology studies and was in The Harun list for the most enterprising entrepreneurs of India. At present he is vice-president for the Pastry Council of India.
Soon, Chef Avin will launch his book “The Science in the Art of Baking”, which he has been working on for past 10 yrs.

Anand Ramanathan

Partner, Deloitte

Anand Ramanathan

Partner, Deloitte

Anand has around 16 years of experience from both an industry and consulting perspective. Anand is currently a Partner with the Strategy & Operations practice in Deloitte based out of Bangalore. He is a graduate from BITS Pilani and has completed his MBA from IIM Indore and PhD from IIM Bangalore. Anand started his career with GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare. He has been in sales and brand roles for nutritional food brands such as Horlicks & Boost. Prior to Deloitte, Anand has been a part of the management consulting practice at KPMG for the past 8 years and has worked on over 90 engagements. His work has primarily been in the consumer markets domain across various sectors such as Retail, FMCG, Agribusiness, and Education. Anand led the channel and salesforce effectiveness solution for the practice.

Dawn Thomas

Managing Director, V&RO Hospitality

Dawn Thomas

Partner, Deloitte

Dawn Thomas has finished B.Tech from M.S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore. At the age of 17, Dawn co-founded Rices Obliquity (a clubbing community) to bring all of Bangalore together for incredible nightlife experiences and even joined hands with Sunburn and co-produced concerts of the likes of David Guetta, Avicii, Hardwell, Dada Life, Matzo, etc.
Just as most creators are - he is very particular about the brand image the company puts out and occasionally has taken up the responsibility of design & artworks himself in the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.
In 2018, Dawn Thomas started working on building V&RO Hospitality as the CEO & Co-founder. VRO Hospitality, is one of the fastest growing hospitality chains in India which is the parent company of Popular Restaurant brands like Hangover, Badmaash, Nevermind, Cafe Noir, Tycoons, Plan B & Mirage. V&RO Hospitality takes pride in its repertoire of multi-format restaurants, cafes, lounges across 22 outlets in India
Under the leadership of Dawn Thomas, V&RO Hospitality also acquired F&B brands like Fava, Cafe Noir, Plan B, Caperberry, and One Night in Bangkok amidst the pandemic and also ventured into cloud kitchen brands with Burger & Beyond, Holy Doh to adjust to the new world of dinning
V&RO Hospitality has successfully raised an amount of $3million in a mix of equity and debt funding in Series A funding led by CreedCap Asia
Dawn Thomas is now focused on the growth mode of the company and with this fresh round of funding he aims to keep V&RO Hospitality on the trajectory of success.

Ramesh Prabhu Ramasamy

Channel and Customer Marketing Manager – South India
Nestle Professional

Ramesh Prabhu Ramasamy

Channel and Customer Marketing Manager – South India
Nestle Professional

10+ Year of Experience in Out of home F&B Space and part of two successful product launches in South.

Sunil Nair

Chief Strategy Officer, Third Wave Coffee

Sunil Nair

Chief Strategy Officer, Third Wave Coffee

Started from 25 Cafes at CAFÉ COFFEE DAY in the Northern India as a Territory head advanced to a National head leading about 1400+ cafes & 400 kiosk spread across the country with a team strength of almost 8000 employees. With the retail experience and with the astute relationship have managed to open cafes at about 130+ cities across the country. Have been instrumental in scaling up the Café Division from 100 to 800 CR (pre covid). Setting sales goals basis the annual business plan & driving the team to achieve the set topline targets has been the key primary task.. Driving ops team to deliver organizational goals and deliver best customer experience was the motto.
Last 1 year, the journey at TWC as a Chief Strategy officer one of the key focus areas of my profile has been expansion. The strategy used in sequencing new outlet launches, training the team on negotiation skills, ensuring profitability of every store, data-driven decision-making in finalizing newer locations combined with teamwork has resulted in the launching of 70+ successful new outlets in less than a year. Still a long way to go with the targets that we have set for ourselves, but I am excited to be part of that journey that will surely help us build a strong Indian origin brand called Third Wave Coffee.

Ankur Singh

Principal, Kearney

Ankur Singh

Principal, Kearney

Ankur is Principal with the global management consulting firm – Kearney. He is a practitioner within Consumer Industries and Retail Practice. He has engaged with multiple Indian and global food retail companies. The said engagements cover a variety of topics ranging from cost improvement, Sales and operations planning, store operations optimization and growth strategy. Across these engagements, Ankur has been actively involved in both strategy development and ensuring last mile implementation.

Mohammed Ali Shah

COO, FreshMenu

Mohammed Ali Shah

COO, FreshMenu

Mohammed Ali Shah is COO at FreshMenu. He is an experienced Operations Supervisor with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry. Ali joined FreshMenu in 2015 as Operations Manager. He is highly skilled in Operations Management, Microsoft Excel, Customer Service, Sales, and Business Development. He is a Strong operations professional with a Master of Business Administration - MBA focused in Operations Management and Supervision.

Shikha Nath

Culinary Director, Charcoal Concepts

Shikha Nath

Culinary Director, Charcoal Concepts

To say that Shikha Nath is passionate about food is an understatement. Discovering the best that India has to offer, and sharing it with the world, is what she brings to the Copper Chimney, Bombay Brasserie and Bombay Borough tables.
Having been with the K Hospitality Corp group for over two and a half decades, she's worn several hats, along with being Culinary Director for Charcoal Concepts, the specialist Indian F&B vertical under K Hospitality Corp.
She's travelled across the length and breadth of the country with her young team of chefs, identifying unique ingredients, understanding India's rich culinary history and bringing constantly evolving, fresh ideas to keep reinventing the foodscape for each brand, based on the it's distinct identity. Mrs Nath has also played a key role towards the setup, growth and expansion of restaurants across different formats in India as well as Internationally

Agenda 2024 More Tables, More Food, More Moolah

3:15 PM

Welcome Note


Speaker:
Ms. Ritu Marya, Editor-in-Chief, Franchise India Group
3:30-3:45

Restaurant Industry 2024:Exploring Challenges & Growth in a Developing Market

  • Key learnings from the Indian and Global Restaurant market
  • Lessons Learned: Growth Rendered
  • Overcoming Challenges: What works in a developing market
  • the 'next big idea' in the restaurant industry

Speakers:

Ramakrishna Adiga, Owner, Vidyarthi Bhavan
3:45-4:20 PM

The Future of Omni-Channel Restaurants:
What Does Innovation Look Like for Food Service Stores in 2024

  • Building the Bottom Line: The Phygital Business Practices
  • Innovating for What customer wants: leveling up with consumer sentiment and experience
  • Minimizing operational cost: Re-thinking kitchen equipment and supply chain

Session Lead & Moderator: Nandini Banerjee, Managing Editor, Retailer Media
Speakers:
Mahesh Reddy, CEO, GoPizza India
Rashmi Daga, Founder, FreshMenu
Shakir Haq, CEO, NKP Empire Ventures
Sumit Nair, GM, IFFCO Group
Jaineet Kalra, Key Account Manager- South, Nestle Professional
Mahesh Padala, Culinary Leader & Director of Operations, Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway
4:20-4:30 PM

Keynote Session:

Speaker:
Nandakumar Janaki, Area Sales Manager - Karnataka, Nestle Professional
4:30-5:00 PM

Making Cloud-kitchen Model & Delivery Model work for everyone
The A-Z of building Cloud Kitchen business

  • Apps, Loyalty and Managing Data
  • Deciphering the delivery cost dilemma: Data-driven pricing: Same great taste, different time, different price
  • Surging investment capital in your business: the ins and outs of identifying your brand's potential, and how to take it to the next level!
  • Finding Menu efficiencies– Single kitchen model vs Multiple Menus in a single kitchens
  • Host kitchens – Are they here to stay
  • Food solutions for Cloud Kitchens – Time Saving, Versatile, Convenient, Delivery Friendly
  • Automation and cloud kitchen: How and How much

Session Lead & Moderator: Anand Ramanathan, Partner and Leader, Consumer Products & Retail Sector, South Asia, Deloitte
Speakers:
Nidhi Singh, Co-Founder, Samosa Singh
Sundeep Singh, Founder, Bogmalo Foods (Uncle Peter’s Pancakes)
Abhilash Bellur, Co-Founder & COO, Biggies Burger
Ramya Ravi, Co-Founder, RNR Donne Biryani
5:00-5:10 PM

Keynote Session:

Speaker:
Shubhankar Otta, Senior Brand Manager - Bakery & Food Services, Cargill
5:10-5:45 PM

New Age Beverages Brands

  • Rise of the Resto-Bar: Delighting with Custom Beverage Experiences
  • Beyond The Food: How bar Teams are ruling the top restaurants
  • How Hotels have welcomed the top bars
  • Roles of chef in bar menu designing

Session Lead & Moderator: Abhijit Saha, Chef Entrepreneur & Author
Speakers:
Prasanna Kumar, Co-Founder, BLR Brewing Co
Vinay Chandrashekar, Founder, Long Boat Brewing Co
Deepak Jeena, Director- Food and Beverage, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru
5:45-6:30 PM

Behind the Bars: Understanding the Nightlife Generation

  • How this generation differs from previous generations
  • The New Age Cocktail Bars
  • Patterns of Food & Drink Binging
  • How Big is Big for Nightlife Restaurant and Bar

Session Lead & Moderator: Ms. Ritu Marya, Editor-in-Chief, Franchise India Group
Speakers:
Pravesh Pandey, Co-Founder & Director, Roxie
Teja Chekuri, Partner, Ironhill India
Avinash Kapoli, Co-Founder, Kompany
Sumit Wahall, COO, True Palate Pvt Ltd
6:30-6:5 PM

Valedictory Keynote

Speakers:
Suvir Saran, Culinary Director, Bastian

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Meet Our Partners

Exhibitors Exhibitors 2024

  • nestle
  • pristine
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  • fresh
  • saras
  • sg
  • coffee

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Sheraton Grand Brigade Gateway

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Tickets info

Name: Ronaldo König

Phone: 009-215-5595

Email: [email protected]

Programme Details

Name: Ronaldo König

Phone: 009-215-5595

Email: [email protected]

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