68

| July 2012
Young
Achiever
New Generation
of Restaurateurs
Redefning luxury in fne dining are the young achievers
Rushabh and Vardhaman Choksi, owners of Mumbais most
trendy, chic bar and restaurant ESCOBAR at Bandra, Mumbai.
Dipti. P speaks to these emerging gemstones of the hospitality
business about their unique 6,000 sq. It. lounge and fne dine
bar.
FL: How did you both venture
into this business, and why this
particular business?
Vardhaman: Rushabh and I have
partied a lot and are still quite passionate
about parties and socialising. We like to
go out and have fun and the nightclub
and bar industry felt like the perfect
business for us to venture into, as we
are driven by the passion of having a
good time and ensuring the same for
our customers.
FL: How do you guys divide
territory of work? Do you face
conict of interests?
Rushabh and Vardhaman: When
it comes to work, we have a mutual
understanding wherein all our
responsibilities are shared, right from
conceptualising the menu to setting up
operations, overlooking the management
and so on. We have never really faced a
conict of interest amongst each other
since we understand how crucial it is to
be able to work as a team to provide
fruitful, long lasting results.
FL: How is Escobar doing?
Rushabh and Vardhaman: Escobar is
one of the nest establishments by far and
we are blessed with a faithful clientele who
Vardhaman Choksi
Rushabh and Vardhaman Choksi

The most important thing

is to be 100% passionate
about what you want to
GR
69
July 2012 |
Young
Achiever
motivate us to excel in our achievements.
Our clientele are the ones that have stood
by us throughout and time and again
proved their loyalty. At present Escobar
is doing extremely well and we hope the
same continues.
FL: What was the concept behind
establishing Escobar?
Rushabh and Vardhaman: What
sets Escobar apart is the fact that it
is the countrys longest bar. A common
phenomenon seen at most of the bars is
that it gets really crowded with people
nudging elbows and waiting for long
before they can manage to get a drink.
We wanted to change that, and encourage
eating while you drink which is quite a
healthy option and so we have a wide
array of tapas to choose from while you
sit at the bar. The bar is designed in such
a manner that it can easily accommodate
a 7 course meal being served to every
individual enabling them to eat and drink
at their own comfort.
FL: How do you think you have
succeeded in this competitive
restaurant business?
Rushabh and Vardhaman: Escobar
has been operational since October
2010. Through this year and a half
we have consistently grown with an
amazing clientele and according to us
Escobar has denitely made a unique
mark in the hospitality industry.
FL: What edge does Escobar
have if compared to other
contemporary restaurants?
Rushabh and Vardhaman: Escobar
has various factors that differentiate it
from the other contemporary restaurants.
First and foremost is the trademark
location in the suburban Bandra, our
signature dishes and exquisite ambience.
We have the longest bar in the country
at 77 feet. The space is very open and
airy and we can accommodate all types
of events. Apart from being a bar and a
nightclub, Escobar is the perfect venue
for private occasions like anniversaries,
parties and so on. It can be divided into
6-8 sections with ease.
FL: What are your future plans?
Rushabh and Vardhaman: We
wish to expand further into the
hospitality industry and have
already achieved the same with
our rst neighbourhood caf,
Cuppa Joe which is our rst
venture in the coffee industry. Our
main aim is to grow consistently and
successfully.
FL: A piece of advice you want to
give to the youngsters who would
like to open their own venture.
Rushabh and Vardhaman: The
most important thing is to be 100%
passionate about what you want to
do. In todays scenario, it has become
quite the trend to open a restaurant,
nightclub or a bar. However, you have
to be very careful and chalk out
a business plan in advance. It is
absolutely essential to understand
your product and know how you want
to proceed.

Rushabh Choksi

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amongst each other since we understand how
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