Recognized by his peers and industry watchers, Riyaaz Amlani, CEO and MD of Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality Pvt Ltd (IEHPL), has made Impresario India’s leading hospitality group in just a decade with 30 plus spaces serving over 12,000 people daily. He believes in making restaurants from the customer’s point of view and is involved in every aspect of managing the business to create ‘handmade restaurants’. In each property, Riyaaz ensures you are served food he would like to eat as a consumer, creates experiences he would expect as a guest and showcases musicians he as a patron would want to hear. It is perhaps this practice that has won him the title of ‘Best Restaurateur’ by Time Out Food Awards 2011.
Starting out in 2001 with the first Mocha in Churchgate, Impresario has grown to 15 brands across 8 cities. Mocha brings a fresh handmade approach to coffee shops, where each outlet is treated like a standalone and no two outlets look the same. Yet, there are familiar flourishes like the carefully chosen mismatched furniture and the homely vibe.
Impresario’s fine-dine division is spearheaded by the Grills; with Delhi’s Smoke House Grill and Pune’s Stone Water Grill. The Grills serve contemporary European cuisine, each with their own specialties. Another highlight of Riyaaz’s vision is his emphasis on the location and its surroundings dictating the décor and ambience, which is evident in the seamless symmetry of each restaurant. The handmade ideas have also transformed the casual café with Salt Water Café in Mumbai and Smoke House Deli in Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai that has been hailed internationally for its detailed hand-drawn interiors, walls and curios.
Riyaaz’s passion for pushing epicurean boundaries has given birth to his most ambitious project yet – the progressive molecular gastronomy restaurant Smoke House Room and Shroom, the immersive nightclub next door. Both are cutting-edge path-breakers in their scope and have already received critical acclaim. His attention to detail for creating bespoke experiences by overseeing the minutest things ranging from a light fixture to the cutlery have made him an ace restaurateur. Each of his restaurants is a holistic, diverse space led by innovation and ingenuity, so drop by to experience them for yourself!
Volume 1 Issue 7
