Part 1 of Rohin Dharmakumar's conversation with Riyaaz Amlani is the origin story: why a returning UCLA grad decided Bombay was missing "places to be," how Mocha became Social, and what it actually takes to keep a restaurant group alive for 25 years in the highest-mortality business there is. The shisha ban, the private-equity money that never arrived, COVID, the marble hustle at age six, and the real engine underneath it all: people.
CHAPTERS
- 00:00 Intro: 95% fail by year two — and the man who didn't
- 01:46 Why Mocha in 2001: a city missing "places to be"
- 03:23 Bombay the "coolest cousin"; South Bombay snobbery moves to Bandra
- 05:05 The MTV / Gen X generation and a West-facing India
- 07:47 UCLA, entertainment management, and learning to live culture
- 11:29 What "Handmade" and "Impresario" mean
- 14:13 The business today: 80 restaurants, 900 cr, 5,500 people
- 15:29 Why restaurants die; learning from the community
- 18:02 People vs processes — and why he keeps returning to people
- 19:32 Social: the millennial third space and the shisha ban
- 25:41 The Gen Z puzzle; Saltwater to Bandra Bourn; evolution vs revolution
- 30:46 Real estate: location vs locality and India's "80 pockets"
- 32:32 The metric that matters: AOV x covers x table turnaround
- 35:33 COVID and surviving "mass-extinction events"
- 39:17 The town hall: the team takes 40% pay to save the company
- 40:51 What losing a restaurant feels like; the discipline to quit
- 42:44 Mental model: 4-5 engines to ride economic cycles
- 46:42 The marble business and hustling from age 12
- 51:20 Bowling alleys & Phoenix Mills: people buy time together
- 53:44 Self-rating: 7.5 as a parent, 5 as a CEO
- 55:15 Building a restaurant vs building an organization
- 56:15 The HR crisis: severe attrition, talent going abroad
- 58:44 The one thing he can't delegate: layouts and property selection
- 1:00:49 Becoming a "boardroom warrior" against his will
KEY COMPANIES & BRANDS
Impresario Handmade Restaurants; Mocha; Social; Saltwater Cafe/Grill; Bandra Born; Cafe Coffee Day; Phoenix Mills "Bowling Company"; Amoeba; UCLA.
KEY CONCEPTS
Third spaces; "handmade" at scale; West-aspirational MTV-generation culture; people vs processes; AOV x covers x table turnaround; frequency as a metric; location vs locality / "80 pockets"; evolution vs revolution; mass-extinction events & resilience; working-capital-negative business; building a restaurant vs building an organization; restaurant-industry attrition; the layouts/property selection he won't delegate.
What is First Principles?
First Principles is a weekly interview podcast comprising authentic, candid, and insightful conversations between some of India’s most accomplished founders and business leaders, and Rohin Dharmakumar, The Ken’s CEO & co-founder.
From personal philosophies, mental models and decision making frameworks, to reading habits, parenting styles or personal interests, each episode will delve into what makes each of these leaders unique.