Restaurant-ed

Srinagar city and other major townships in Kashmir are seeing a lot of restaurants and fancy eateries starting up operations in the recent past. On the face of it, it is a positive development that people are focusing on businesses that generate some employment too rather than just investing their energies on getting a government job. However, this trend of having a restaurant at every second corner fits the proverb ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. It also shows that people are not following this business model because they want to open up a restaurant or that they are motivated to enter the food industry. In fact, people who come up with these ideas invest their time and a lot of money only because someone else has done so. It is a perfect example of herd mentality in a business setup where everyone follows everyone else. As already said, one is not against flourishing businesses but variety, motivation, and expertise are the key benchmarks of success in any business. Just bunching up a few amateur cooks in a fancy setup and using social media to attract foodies does not seem to be a sustainable business model. While food & hospitality is a booming sector, too many restaurants with nearly the same menu is not an exciting business prospect. Instead, those who want to enter into this business should at least do so by coming up with some novel ideas about what new would they bring to this industry. In fact, even before they dive into it, they should ask themselves if they are really passionate about it. Running a successful business is not just about earning money from it. It is about developing relationships and ensuring impeccable customer service. Unfortunately, many of these establishments lack on both of these fronts. Only those who know what the business of food and hospitality entails are able to set higher standards of customer service while maintaining quality as well. The aspiring restaurateurs should take a step back and ponder if it is really what they want to do. Opening a restaurant is not entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs play a key role in any economy, using the skills and initiative necessary to anticipate needs and bringing good new ideas to market. Entrepreneurship that proves to be successful in taking on the risks of creating a startup is rewarded with profits, fame, and continued growth opportunities. Any would-be restaurateur should take the plunge only if he or she is bringing anything novel to this sector. Also, there should be a thorough analysis of the risks and rewards and a decision should be reached after weighing all the pros and cons of the sector one is planning to invest in. Otherwise, as already mentioned, it is just another addition to the long line of restaurants that at times seem pointless.