Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal & Riyaaz Amlani | Ep 3.4 | Learning From The Social Butterfly

What this episode covers

Welcome back to Magazine St. Kitchen Presents: Speak Greasy, hosted by Gauri Devidayal. In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome none other than Riyaaz Amlani, a stalwart in India’s food and beverage industry. Riyaaz is the Founder and CEO of Impresario Entertainment Hospitality, the brand behind game-changing dining concepts like Mocha, Social, Smoke House Deli, and Salt Water Café. With a career spanning over 20 years, Riyaaz has built a 100-crore restaurant empire, and his journey offers invaluable insights for anyone interested in the hospitality sector. Riyaaz starts by recounting the origins of Mocha, which he launched in 2001. As one of India’s first café brands to offer a relaxed, all-day hangout space, Mocha redefined how urban Indians interacted with cafés. Riyaaz discusses the fundamental difference between cafés and restaurants, explaining how cafés like Mocha focus on ambiance and comfort, offering a space where customers could comfortably spend hours, compared to restaurants that prioritize food programs. The episode takes an exciting turn as Riyaaz reveals the story behind the creation of Social. Designed for a new generation of urbanites, Social is more than just a café—it’s a co-working space by day and a vibrant bar by night. Riyaaz describes Social as an “egalitarian” space where patrons can enjoy everything from coffee to cocktails, at any time of day. The idea stemmed from a growing demand for flexible workspaces, and Social quickly became a go-to spot for millennials and Gen Z, redefining the café experience across India. With a target of opening ten new Social outlets per year, the brand has been a runaway success, adapting to the needs of its customers while maintaining its essence of community and connection. Riyaaz and Gauri also touch upon the behind-the-scenes challenges of running a large-scale restaurant business. From navigating the competitive landscape of Indian F&B to managing the complexities of raising investment capital, Riyaaz offers listeners a candid look into what it takes to succeed. He reflects on the importance of hiring the right talent, building a self-sufficient management team, and how restaurateurs often create spaces based on the gaps they feel in their own lives. The episode also explores Riyaaz’s take on the current trends in the F&B industry, including the rise of cloud kitchens, and why, contrary to popular belief, cloud kitchens aren’t always low-risk ventures. Instead, Riyaaz suggests starting with physical spaces and scaling up from there. They also discuss the changing consumption patterns of today’s diners, where novelty and variety reign supreme, making it harder for restaurants to retain repeat customers within a short span of time. In a fun rapid-fire segment, Gauri and Riyaaz dive into Riyaaz’s favourite food cities, his views on culinary tourism, and his future plans for Social, which he aims to expand into more cities across India. As Riyaaz says, the key to building a successful restaurant brand is creating a space that feels like home—a place where people not only come back but also bring their communities along with them. This episode is a must-watch for anyone curious about the business side of F&B, the evolution of café culture in India, and what it takes to run a successful hospitality empire in today's fast-paced, ever-changing world. Watch now to get a front-row seat into the mind of one of India’s most influential restaurateurs!

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