Phorum Pandya compares the world of F&B to a dating app, where a restaurant must put on its best brand story to land a booking.

“Suggest a nice place for dinner.”

Trust me, this is the toughest task for a food writer.
There is no right answer. What is a nice place really?  More often than not, my well-curated, hand-picked list is ignored; people land up going to a familiar haunt.

This makes me wonder: Choosing a restaurant or bar is like swiping right on a dating app.

It’s all about the story telling – through its food, drinks, ambiance, service and concept. Some want food, the space doesn’t matter, some want to dress up, and take good pictures, and that’s their parting taste of a good time.

An F&B format is a character.  If you read the ‘bio’ thoroughly, you will recognise the makings of a standout profile (of a restaurant or bar) that is likely to get your nod. It’s a green flag if the brand story is true to its claims. Is the staff making an impression, is the bar offering a classic tale or a contemporary twist and is the overall experience worth the spending?
Red flags, there are many too. An underwhelming meal, shabby décor and faulty service dish out a blah experience to the customer.  

This makes me wonder more: What seals the deal for a second date?

More and more owners, today, recognise the value in building a vibrant community – where guests can feel included. Some, thus, manage to become our ‘third place’ - the social outpost we frequent apart from home and workplace. A favourite table, a favourite drink, even a friendship with the service staff. In a world, where we are so engrossed in our virtual lives, spaces have the potential to make room for experiences.

This is where UnMarketing steps in.
Vijeta Singh, Hospitality and F&B Strategist and founder of Rare Ideas, says, “It’s non-negotiable that the food and drinks must be on point, but it is not enough to draw in the crowd today. There are so many options to choose from, that an F&B space has to make some noise music with its branding,” she says, adding that an honest and well-narrated concept offers more than a meal experience.

When Pune got its first tequila bar, Juju, Rare Ideas turned the Kalyani Nagar outpost into a Mexican adventure - from cactus-inspired décor to making room for a central communal table. Karan Khilnani, Co-founder of Elephant & Co., says, "Juju is the natural extension we envisioned as a quaint tequila bar experience that drinks, dines, and dances with a modern Mexican soul.”

Chef partner Hanoze Shroff ensures a majority of ingredients remain authentically Mexican, with Indian elements. Chips & Dips with Guacamole, Pulled Pork Taco, Lamb Birria Taco, Miso Mushroom Taco, Corn Ribs and Japanese Tuna Crudo. Head Mixologist, Rahul Kamath, kept the cocktail game going with tequila and agave as stars. Juju Bomb, their signature shot with a blend of beer and tequila, had the crowd swaying to Latin beats.

For Gather, an all-day drinking and dining space in Shivaji Nagar, Singh leaned on market insights that indicated a strong demand among the 30-plus demographic within a 3-5 km radius of Law College Road. “These guests often have to travel far for upscale dining experiences. We aimed to create an inviting, product-focused venue that embodies happiness for large groups and families," she says. Similarly, last year, when Elephant & Co, which has served in Pune for six years, entered Goa, the storytelling involved Lavani as well as Fudgi, a little bit of thecha as well as feni. It made it to the Best Bar India (People’s choice at 30 Best Bars India, Times Best Bar and Times Best Mixologist @mr_.alcoholic) the same year. 

Good stories are made and told, particularly through a well-defined brand concept and strategy. “When we set out to create a restaurant, whether it’s a modern family bar or any other concept, the foundation lies in a strong brand concept that resonates throughout the entire operation. This means that every aspect of the restaurant—from the chef’s menu to the architect’s design, from the communication team’s messaging to the PR efforts—must align with the same vision,” says Vijeta Singh, giving the example of a modern family resto-bar. “The narrative for a family spot should converse with all age groups even before they step in. The chef speaks to guests through the menu. Is there something for everyone, and does it still tie back to the brand story? Do the interiors make every guest feel warm and welcomed? We work backwards with our employees and even vendors to make this happen, all the while remaining true to our set narrative. This creates a unified experience that strengthens brand loyalty,” Vijeta adds. 

When a brand sticks to its authentic story—whether it's rooted in a unique cultural background, a specific culinary philosophy, or a commitment to sustainability—it creates a genuine connection with its audience. This alignment transforms a dining experience from mere transactions into memorable stories that patrons will want to share.

Brand perception

Neha Khilnani, founder of Connekting Dots, emphasises that storytelling is just as important as having a strong product. “If your product is weak, the only thing that may carry you for a while is a compelling vision or storytelling that aligns with what you’re selling.”

While many restaurants focus on food and beverage programming, few take the time to ideate on the customer experience connected to the brand. “This is a major drawback. Today’s customer wants to feel valued. A strong brand perception and memorable customer experience will keep them coming back,” says Khilnani. This won’t be achieved by simply hiring an A-lister mixologist or chef. “Every communication and action must reflect the restaurant’s core values. The narrative becomes organic when you stay true to your word.”

Khilnani adds that building rituals, being consistent, meaningful touchpoints can reinforce the brand’s ethos when done thoughtfully. True hospitality lies in attention to every detail. It’s these small, deliberate touches that elevate the experience and deepen customer loyalty,” she says. 

Team players

Every person who works in a bar, behind the scenes in the kitchen as well as on the floor, has to play his or her part. How are you training your team to play together? One of the things I love is to see staff share a camaraderie among themselves.

Riaan George, grooming and etiquette expert, says, “First of all, a restaurant needs to have a great training manager or a general manager who can be entrusted to train the rest of the team. Training for F&B service delivery and service procedures has a standard protocol, it is important the staff grasps the brand story of the restaurant well. For example, a server in a restaurant that is ingredient-centric needs to be able to articulate what is being dished out. This is a new dimension in restaurants in India, where over the centuries we have just gone to restaurants where people just serve us transactionally. That's South Asian culture. We inherit the storytelling approach that comes from the West.”
While training may look great on paper, he adds that attrition rate can hamper the process. “Even the language and culture gap make a difference. A service staff who's earning a minimum wage is not going to have the same kind of communicative communication skills or communication capabilities to express what a training manager or a restaurant owner or a chef or a sommelier might be able to do. Investing in two or three very strong team leaders who are constantly in touch with the customers and have that grasp over communication, vocabulary, knowledge and everything and who have a personality to match, and who are able to give customers inputs is a gamechanger.”

Many restaurants go off track with the story telling, taking it rather seriously. In this situation, it’s also important to train the team to read the room. Back off if your customer just wants to enjoy his/her meal. “Storytelling works when it is casual rather than stuffy or boring,” George quips, adding, “No long lectures please. Want to say something while placing the dish? You have 8-10 seconds. Your time starts now,” he opines.

Visual storytelling

Principal architect at Studio PM, Priyank Mehta, says visual storytelling is like the first bite. “Your eyes, and other senses, eat before the food touches your palate. Many times, we are given a basic brief of the cuisine, which becomes our starting point for the concept. I’ll even go to the extent of saying that an F&B programme is not the main character of a restaurant story anymore. What is the environment around it? The setting, the lights, the colour palettes, the décor, the world of magical realism you are creating. How does a restaurant stand out, among all the others, and converse with the guest? How do you woo them to want to return?”

Recently, he designed Fictionary, a bookstore and café (run by Masa) on Carter Road. “We wanted to create a fantasy world of our own from scratch and not go with the obvious inspiration of Harry Potter or a Lord of the Rings theme. Did you know Harry Potter is a decade ago and LOTR is two decades ago. When a person walks in, he is transported into a fresh rendition of an Old-World fantasy,” says Mehta.

Food for thought

Some of my favourite F&B stories are those that resonate a chef’s vision. The long-list includes Kari Apla in Bandra by chef-duo Ebaani Tewari and Mathew Varghese traces their food lineage across Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Kolkata, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh; all the Irani cafes and the caricature of their Parsi owners; Bombay Boy by Nishit Dalal feeding vada pav to Dilliwalas; and Ishaara for its Indian cuisine and inclusivity for deaf and mute working staff; Izumi by Nooresha Kably dishing out a holistic Japanese cuisine experience. The real stories leave behind a lingering aftertaste of experience. 

During my early years as a food writer, I was fully focussed on exposing my palate to all types of cuisines. The more I tried, the more I would understand food, I believed.

In the next phase, my focus turned away from the art and focussed on the artist. Who is making this food and how? I began to hangout with chefs in their kitchens. I was happy to be a fly on the wall just observing. The heat of the kitchen is raw and unforgiving. Here, I learnt my greatest lesson: The story of a restaurant or bar is in its kitchen. During one of my earliest interviews with Chef Manu Chandra, the restaurateur who runs Lupa in Bengaluru today, left me with a thought: “The mise en place you see in the kitchen, begins with a Mise en Scene in the chef’s mind. A good chef will chart out the exact recipe for how his kitchen is going to function during service. The ingredient for a good restaurant is a chef with clarity.” 

Today, as restaurants put their best foot forward in the hospitality world through social media, pop-ups, chef specials and storytelling, the consumer is spoilt for choice, just like on a dating app: First impression, reading the bio, setting your expectations, checking the vibe all matter to encourage a second date.