AD Singh has exemplified that being a top restaurateur has been more than just a glam job
Can an individual be credited with the shift of a city’s core? Well, many would point to the shift from SoBo to BKC in Bombay/Mumbai to the opening of Olive at Bandra. You may not have realised it, but that’s just how much of a game changer AD Singh possibly was. And why you need to follow his next move, whether you are a budding entrepreneur dreaming of the next concept restaurant or a guest who likes the casual, good life.
Olive and AD. For the last decade and a half, these have been the bywords for ‘cool, classy’ eating out. Olive was where you took someone you wanted to impress, or indeed let your hair down with. In a sector where turnovers are the rule of the game, it’s hard to imagine Mumbai or Delhi without Olive Bar and Kitchen. And AD Singh hosting and making you feel at home. Countless people can attest to parties, soirees and events at the Olive being some of their favourite memories over the years.
It’s hard to imagine that it’s been more than a decade and half since the journey began, right at the turn of the new millennium. Olive, which opened in Bandra in then almost hicksville central Mumbai (compared to SoBo) in November 2000, proved to be a gamechanger. Putting not just the cuisine, but also an entire backstory — the décor, the location, the experience, the vibe, the prescient AD Singh — AD to legions of friends — changed the way India ate out.
However, Olive Bar and Kitchen was not AD Singh’s first venture. And India, even as it looked towards a new century, had yet to shed its deeply ingrained lifestyles. In terms of eating out at the top level, it meant tony five star hotels with their long pedigree and predicable menus.
In hindsight, as the food history of the nation is written, Olive’s opening will be regarded as watershed moment. The timing of Olive ushered in a casual, free spirited dining experience to Bombay, still getting used to its new nomenclature while embracing the west. Located outside the erstwhile charmed inner circle of SoBo, it attracted a new young, hip clientele — film ‘stars’ and their legions of hangers-on, a new breed of entrepreneurs, fashionistas — all trendsetters whose word-of-mouth, breathless praise of the new ‘hangout’ went a long way in ensuring that people flocked to it. A still new-to-India loosely Mediterranean menu with its stress on fresh ingredients and zesty flavours ensured repeat customers. Parties that became the talk of the town, and beyond, ensured everyone wanted to be seen there. Singh himself ascribes the success to, “there was nothing there for people like us. India had begun to get westernised, was seeing cable TV which had come in… Archie comics… we were desperate for a certain kind of lifestyle. Also there was nothing in the suburbs. Bombay had this snobbish attitude that life only existed south of Worli.”
By the time Olive opened in a restored haveli in Mehrauli, one of Delhi’s oldest cities, in November 2003, there was no looking back. Today, Olive Bar and Kitchen has more than ten brands, each driven strongly by its concept. 1960-born Singh’s journey as a restaurateur starts well before, when it was a very different India.
Bombay shaped Delhi-born Singh, who attended school at Cathedral and John Connon, followed by Jai Hind and St Xavier’s College. A scholarship to study Electrical Engineering at Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, took him to the US, exposing him to new influences.
On returning to India, he worked with Cadbury’s, but the job failed to excite him. “I realised I didn’t want to work there for the rest of my life,” he recollects. “I thought I would work in the NGO sector, but they were offering just about Rs 400-500. I was 28, and I just couldn’t survive on that! There seemed to be a lot of sanctimoniousness around. My friends were getting about Rs 10,000, but I would have been okay with Rs 4,000. I thought that if they wanted the best, they should pay okay.”
As that didn’t work out, he began looking around. Meanwhile, his sister was getting married, and he organised a boat party. “It was very difficult, but very nice,” he recollects. “So I saw an opportunity and be an entrepreneur to start a business providing that service. It was hard work, but it was so new. The service industry was nascent, almost unborn. Just for somebody who put that effort, and who they could rely on, that was the difference. That was a turning point for me.”
Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mehrauli, New Delhi. Photo courtesy: Olive Bar & Kitchen
Party Lines was on for about two years before the next dream began taking shape. “I had a sweet tooth, and wanted to open a café with great desserts and coffee. That’s what led to Just Desserts, and that’s how I got started.” Located on Homi Mody Street — yes, down the road from Tata headquarters Bombay House, this jazz café served coffee and desserts, and was an immediate hit. “We recovered our investment in one month,” he recollects with a smile.
It wasn’t smooth sailing at all. Singh says the restaurant sector was then viewed with great suspicion. “I must have met 30 landlords, who refused to give me space. Then one of them called me back.” Capital was another challenge. He borrowed Rs 50,000 from his mother to get started. “I had to really ideate to find my way.” Even that was fortuitous. His parents were not quite taken by his girlfriend at the time. When he went to approach them for money, they were apparently quite relieved it wasn’t a romantic thing they were being asked to acquiesce to, and promptly forked out the cash!
In the mid-1990s, Singh also organised a number of seaside jazz events —at Rooftop, Ripon club, Guest Line Hotel — old-timers remember to this date. As does Singh. All this culminated in Jazz by the Bay on the Marine Drive — which he helped conceptualise for the Narang Group. Do look up Naresh Fernandes’ wonderful Taj Mahal Foxtrot to relive the era.
A number of innovative restaurants followed — each with a strong concept, clearly showcasing Singh as a name to reckon with. In 1996, he opened Copa Cabana, the hugely popular Latin American bar in Bombay that is also credited with introducing tapas to the city. This was followed by the opening of Soul Kadi and Soul Fry in 1998, serving home-style coastal cuisine in an international cafe setting, another innovation. The Bowling Company, India’s first bowling company and sports bar, opened in 1999 in association with Alyque Padamsee at what is today Phoenix Mills.
Olive Bistro. Photo courtesy: Olive Bar & Kitchen
The biggest year was just around the corner. In 2000, Singh launched The Olive Bar and Kitchen, and Suzie Wong, Bombay’s first floating bar — off Marine Drive. As mentioned earlier, Olive was a smash hit. For Singh, however, the concept always went beyond food. Olive, over the years, has emerged as a cultural platform, where food intersected with fashion, art, crafts, music, live performances.
Both in Delhi and Bombay, for the better part of a decade, Olive was the first choice for hosts who wanted to step beyond the formal setting of a five-star hotel for an event. Of course, the Bombay outlet soon became the favourite hangout for ‘stars’ and wannabe stars and those-who-wanted-to-be-seen-with-stars and those-who-wanted-to-take-a-photo-with-the stars (it was a pre-selfie era to begin with) and those-whose-job-it-was-to-take-pics-of the-stars (for the better part, they were outside the landmark white walls and blue door though). Olive was inevitably host to some of biggest dust ups — think to the one between hamsters supreme Shah Rukh and Salman Khan. Of course, the latter shone himself in other pleasantries, too, such as once reportedly threatening Ranbir Kapoor. Yes, many a celeb did actually land up in the little pond on the premises, displacing the fish. And the dunking wasn’t always voluntary!
A D Singh at EK Bar, Defence Colony, New Delhi. Photo: Shireen Quadri
Olive did so well that Singh says “we couldn’t keep up with the demand. It opened the eyes of Bombay to the opportunities there. On any given day, there was some personality from Bollywood — it helped create the buzz.” Through it all, Singh’s adroit management — a mix of being a star-pal — affable in white linens and with an ever-present smile for his clients, and some nifty behind-the-scenes handling by staff, was a hallmark. “We worked very hard to keep the buzz in the brand.” You think he would have said with a twinkle in his eye, but no, it was as straight-laced a statement as any! And he denies being a party person! Did we say the bar was the most prominent F&B feature, leading to multiple, nay, multitudes of imbibement-induced behaviour? It wasn’t always easy going, and Singh records an incident elsewhere where fashion designer Manish Malhotra, with arm candy in the form of Karisma Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar, was turned away at the front door. Yes, Singh’s legendary sangfroid has been called to action more than once. Yes, Singh has partied with the best, thrown the most talked-about parties, been its life and soul, but he also had to do with an eye on the next day, the bottom line, his staff. It has not been smooth sailing always. “Once a customer slapped one of my staff, and I was furious.” Yes, over the years, Singh has exemplified that being a restaurateur has been more than just a glam job. His work ethic has been noticed, and he never shied away from any role, even clearing plates. “It’s called being a restaurateur,” he says with a smile.
The first decade of the millennium was heady one for the world. Income graphs went vertical, bank accounts became dangerously obese, and the young and rich partied like the world was ending. Olive was a beneficiary, even as competition, led by Ritu (Dalmia), Rahul (Akerkar) and Riyaaz (Amlani), sprung up all around.
Just as everyone started planning even bigger, the parties ended when the actions of the brothers Lehman and their cohorts became media fodder and public confidence in the financial dexterity of politicians and bankers took a nosedive. Suddenly, planned expensive projects such as ai, Singh’s super fancy dream project and Lap, in partnership with Arjun Rampal, which opened around the end of the decade, but proved to be white elephants. Perhaps it was just bad timing, but Singh was forced to go back to his board and rework some of the projects. “We should have closed ai, my baby, a year and a half before we did. It was very emotional for me. It was my blood, sweat and tears. We made a big loss on it.” The Board made me see reason, he says. The silver lining — shutting ai down helped us grow quickly, he asserts. Also, as the sector grew, his protégés began seeking out newer pastures, which led to partnerships such as one with Manu Chandra and Chetan Rampal, which today has Monkey Bar and The Fatty Bao.
A sports bar with Sachin Tendulkar never materialised, and perhaps the Board had a satisfied smile when Tendulkar’s sank without a trace shortly after it opened, with AD Singh nowhere near that project. “Missing that opportunity remains a regret,” Singh nevertheless says wistfully.
Today, Singh’s role in planning and strategy is somewhat less than what it used to be. “Only because we’ve grown,” he says with disarming modesty. “We’ve grown nationally, so I had to stop getting involved with day-to-day business as I was six to eight years ago.”
He turns down the lettuce with akuri, as the brunch menu-tasting goes at Ek Bar in Delhi’s chic Defence Colony.
Dip the leaf in the akuri? he asks the server, sounding incredulous. We suspect it won’t make it to the menu.
Certainly, the round table has no space for all the plates that appear at a rather fast pace, and Singh’s journey of recollection winds itself around the chaos. There’s a meeting on at the next table, while friends drop in to invite him to a Kolkata wedding later in the year. Given that Singh’s empire might add a few outposts in the city then is just a coincidence.
Indeed, today, the number of brands has increased rapidly. The closure of ai after a valiant effort to keep the massive Japanese restaurant at Delhi’s MGF Mall going cost him not just financially, but also led him to relook at the business. Today, the brands that have opened in the last couple of years are far more in the ‘affordable’ range. “Not being from the industry, I have always worked very hard to create strong products.” He agrees that the sector sees a very high turnover and feels that over the years many get into the business without fleshed-out plans. “By and large, the failures you see are because of that.” Nor does he want to bring back the restaurants he misses, such as Suzie Wong, which lasted just a couple of seasons.
SodaBottleOpenerWala, Hyderabad. Photo courtesy: Olive Bar & Kitchen
His dedication to creating concepts remains intact. He says he now has a “good intuitive sense of what the people are looking for.” He cites the example of Lady Baga, his latest creation. It traces its journey to the success of SodaBottleOpenerWala, serving regional cuisine done in a cool fun way. “We had a space that had failed, and I had been thinking of putting a beach shack out there. Good Goan food, good continental food… you are not getting good Goan food anywhere. It’s also a fun story, it’s got so many layers to it. Goa is so interesting, I felt we could create a good strong story which could resonate nationally. Then my wife (Sabina Singh, whose design input in many of Olive’s restaurants is worth noting) got the name right. Goa in the old days for me used to be space of great freedom, very much like the Sixties in America — hippies, music... So, that was how I rooted this vision. Let’s reimagine Goa of that time.”
The next words are carefully crafted. Very. “We are trying to bring our excellence and our quality … through strong creation and conceptualisation … to a very wide audience …. in an affordable, approachable way. That’s what actually defines the company going forward. All our new products, whether it is Soda, or Lady Baga or Monkey Bar, are all under thousand rupees. They are the backbone of the company. Fatty Bao and Toast & Tonic are at about Rs 1,200. We feel the growth will happen in brand extensions that are even more affordable.” Dancing atop a table at Lap or Olive, you wouldn’t have thought these oh-so-considered words coming out AD Singh’s mouth — “our focus is on concepts and quality at an affordable price”!!! But for his friend and competitor, Riyaaz Amlani, having said those identical words to me sometime ago, I would have had to hold on tightly to that overladen table! After ai, he’s been far more pragmatic — he reportedly lost quite a few crores on that adventure. “ai and Lap were our last two lavish investments.”
With wife, Sabina Singh, and daughter, Zoe Tara Singh. Photo courtesy: Olive Bar & Kitchen
Got the storytelling part? Let’s go over it again. “So, Ek Bar stems from the new Indian food space. We tried to define what is an Indian bar. We tried to set a prototype for that. Innovative Indian food and drinks. Fresh Indian design. That was the thinking.”
For me, what Singh did was create an aesthetic place with every new brand, even if not always to my taste. Exquisitely detailed, often to achieve the casual chic look (think Monkey Bar or Soda or of course, the mother ship
— Olive).
Well, if you’ve got this far, you already know there is a sharp operator behind the smile. Singh, however, is a tad reluctant to talk of expansion, though food industry insiders say he gets offers for partnerships and franchises almost every day. “We are more focused on growing what we have,” is his answer at the moment. “We may need to keep tweaking or extending them. Lady Baga came out of a brand we had for 18 years — Soul Fry. That was a Goan café. From there we drew this beach shack.” Incidentally, he is also getting rid of some brands, notably Lap and Le Bistro du Parc. Make no mistake, the expansion plan is on. We want to reach 100 restaurants in five years, he says. Rumours of Singapore, Dubai and London are in the air, but he steers clear of mentioning the names. However, he still prefers the private equity (PE) route rather than listing. “All of us (his fellow restaurateurs) are too small,” he feels. Aditya Birla Private Equity bought a third of the company for four years in 2012, and the private equity route is one he wants to continue on. “We are looking at different ways to reach a meaningful size.”
Singh says the restaurant sector has changed entirely now. “Great properties are available, and that has led to the boom in the sector,” he says. Yes, he has regrets, too, and ones you wouldn’t guess. “I feel our sector isn’t appreciated,” he says. “I feel we make a difference to people’s lives. We provide huge amount of employment in India. We are a made-in-India industry, home grown. And yet, legislation, the rules, the taxes, the approach, by and large, do not support us. We feel with a proper government and restaurant partnership, we can soar. I am sad that it’s such hard work for us.”
Singh, of course, can now look back at more than a quarter of a century of memories. He says, “In the legacy of this great country like ours, me and a few others were able to make a difference. In the food space, we gave a lot of people great joy, created a path for people to come. We built this standalone industry from almost nothing. Today, the hotels want to be us.” He acknowledges the giants of the sector — Rohit Khattar, Camellia (Panjabi) with what she did at the Taj, Ananda Solomon…
Looking back at a standout memory from his career, he thinks Just Desserts was a high point. “People loved us, I loved it myself. It was my first restaurant. It was a real high.” As for food influences, Coya in London impressed him, as did sho cho, Dubai, a contemporary Japanese restaurant — which serve as an inspiration for ai years later. Japanese, of course, is a favourite cuisine, as is Indian (no, he can’t choose just one).
Well past the hour, conversation is now more free-wheeling. How are the audiences in different cities? Bombay audience, he says, is the most laidback, very easy-going. Delhi has a very sophisticated audience as well. (Is that ‘coz he’s here? We aren’t sure!) “Bangalore is perhaps the most serious about food of all the cities we are in.” Kolkata he is just getting into. What he is glad about — people are becoming more about living to eat, rather than other way around, more prevalent till lately. What bugs him is that some restaurants do not follow a level-playing field. They source from the grey market, do not declare sales ... pay the right taxes. A thing he wants removed — dry days! At one a month, it’s three per cent of sales, while costs haven’t gone
anywhere.
If you want him to enjoy a meal, well take him outdoors, preferably with a view! No surprises then that his most memorable meals have been in Goa — the setting is hard to beat. Adjectives to describe his own restaurants — hold your hat — nice and gentle top the list!
Like Olive today, an old friend, an old love almost. Singh recollects his very young daughter (Zoe Tara Singh, now 5) walking into Olive one day some time back and being hailed as the next boss… “It felt nice to be know you have built something that will be there for a while,” with a pride-wry mix of a smile. Sure, flashier cousins have hustled in with their diverse offering, but it’s no small tribute to the genius and perseverance of AD Singh that Olive is where you take someone you want to impress!
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