Three Entrepreneurs of Mughal Mahal

“Strive to maintain quality in service”

by Surya Prakash & NCM

  

One of the few phenomenally successful stories on Kuwait’s Restaurant scene, the Mughal Mahal Group is actually the dream come true for three young entrepreneurs. The trio of Mr.Ashok Kalra, Mr.Jatinder Suri and Mr.Mukesh Kumar realised their vision of an ethnic Indian Mughlai restaurant when they opened the first eatery in Sharq, way back in 1985. Nurturing the brand through its early years, and basking in the amazing response to their maiden venture, the three were emboldened to plan future expansion, both in outlets and in the cuisines they offered.

Leveraging his extensive knowledge of the hotel and catering industry, Mr. Ashok Kalra the Managing Partner, drives the future of the company and its leading market position.

With expertise in developing new business strategies Mr. Jatinder Suri the Director and Partner is instrumental in planning and implementing long-term company goals in business development.

With proficiency in mobilizing staff efficiently, Mr. Mukesh Kumar,the Director & Partner  is the force behind the Group’s exceptionally successful human resource development and F & B operations.

From a single restaurant in Sharq, creating delicious Indian Mughlai dishes, to twelve outlets spread across the country and abroad and offering scrumptious Indian, Chinese and International dishes the expansion and evolution of Mughal Mahal has been nothing short of remarkable achievement. Today the Group, renowned for its dine-in facilities, offers the same level of unrivalled food quality and service, through its dedicated outdoor catering division and its take-away and home-delivery service.

It took seven years of meticulous planning and organizing before the second outlet opened in Fahaheel and another seven years before two more branches were added in Fintas and Farwaniya in 1999. Gestation periods became shorter and, in 2001, continuing their saga of success the fourth branch opened above the Marks & Spencer building in Salmiya, and a fifth, offering exquisite multi-cuisine opened in 2004 at the Tahreer Complex in Salmiya.

A smaller third outlet in Salmiya was opened to cater to the crowds at the prestigious Marina Mall. Three years later, in 2007, the largest Mughal Mahal branch to date, with seating for over 200 people, opened at the Zahem Complex in Hawally. To cater to the increasing demand from the area, and to effectively cover the entire country with its network, a ninth outlet of the brand was opened in Jahra. In a move to expand beyond Kuwait’s borders, the Group opened their first outlet in the Land of the Pharaohs, at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt and is slated to open a second branch in Cairo in October.

For over a quarter of a century Mughal Mahal has retained a distinct identity as a brand that consistently offers exceptional quality through exquisite food, elegant ambience and impeccable service. Mughal Mahal, which started out with the aim of filling a void in authentic Mughlai cuisine in Kuwait, has over the years evolved and broadened its culinary boundaries to bring delectable, palate-pleasing Indian, Chinese and International cuisines to the market.

The brand has also been instrumental in bringing about a paradigm shift in market perceptions about eating-out, along with an appreciation for exotic cuisines among the local populace.

From a multi-cuisine menu so massive that thumbing through the items alone would take a while, to the quick and effortless take-away selections at their Fintas outlet, Mughal Mahal offers delectable foods that please the palate of the most fastidious of food fanatics.

Offering connoisseurs of fine food a rich buffet of authentic main dishes along with an array of accompaniments, Mughal Mahal sets the benchmark for preparing and serving Indian Mughlai cuisine. With names reminiscent of their Persian and Central Asian heritage, popular Mughlai dishes at Mughal Mahal include kebabs, koftas, kormas, tikkas, pilafs and biriyanis.

Supplementing the traditional Indian Mughlai menu with Chinese and international dishes explains the popularity of Mughal Mahal’s multi-cuisine concept. It is worth mentioning that the Chinese dishes on offer at the restaurant have been specially adapted to the tastes and preferences of local palates.

In keeping with the demands of the brand’s web savvy customers Mughal Mahal is currently revamping their online presence. When launched the new website will make browsing, selecting and ordering dishes online as quick and effortless as ordering on telephone or directly at the front-desk.

When it comes to Mughal Mahal’s array of dishes, mouth watering, palate pleasing, tongue tingling, lip smacking are not mere advertising platitudes. And the phrase, ‘word of mouth’ takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to the brand. It is this promotion, through word of mouth, more than anything else that has catapulted Mughal Mahal to its pinnacle position today.

The brand prides and promotes itself as a purveyor of authentic Indian Mughlai cuisine. In a world where lemonade is made from artificial flavours and furniture polish is made from real lemons, it is indeed reassuring to know that there are people around who really care about authenticity. Mughal Mahal uses only the freshest vegetables and meat products, the most aromatic herbs and spices and, as a matter of principle, uses only health-friendly oils for all their cooking.

They tell you, ‘don’t sweat the small stuff,’ but at Mughal Mahal the staff always does. They believe that it is this attention to the smallest detail, beginning with the quality and freshness of ingredients to fretting over things like a wrongly folded napkin that ultimately results in the extraordinary dining experience, which is a hallmark of the brand.

The brand identity of Mughal Mahal - a silhouette of a Mughal emperor - is a constant reminder of the brand’s commitment to ensuring that customers are always treated like royalty and every member of the Mughal Mahal team, from the people who cook to the ones who clean, from the people who serve to the ones who manage, is dedicated to this credo.

With a vision to maintaining its status as one of the leading restaurants in the country, Mughal Mahal empowers and invests in its human capital to consistently meet customer needs and constantly exceed expectations.

The brand’s mission is to create a culinary experience for its customers through distinct restaurants with exciting ambience, great food and impeccable service and, in the process, turn a profit. Mughal Mahal restaurants are quality places that people can truly enjoy coming to eat, while remaining a safe, stimulating and rewarding workplace for their employees.

 

It is praise worth to mention…

• * During year 2009 they served over 2.8 million covers for dine-in and take away;
• * They use 320,000 kg of rice every year along with 38,000 kg of onion every month;
• * The spices which give a unique richness to their dishes are all blended in-house and are not available in the market. It is a tradition that was initiated by their veteran staff, Mr. L.B. Roy.
• * They are the only company in Kuwait which has an exclusive Helpline for their staff. Called AOUSOM (All  staffs  of Mughal Mahal), this Helpline initiated by Mr. Sushil Kumar, Head of Sharq Branch, welcomes ideas and suggestions from employees while assisting them in finding solutions to their problems.
• * They provide extensive training programs to the staff to familiarize them with Arabic culture more than the Arabic language
• * Their mutually respectful relationship with over 65 suppliers based locally and globally, is a testament to the value they place on their supply chain to maintain their  reputation for quality products.
• * The software employed in their IT department cost them in excess of KD 100,000. Headed by Mr. Soubhagya S. Sahoo (aka Mr. CPU), a professional Enterprise Resource Planning - ERP multi domain Consultant. He along with a team of professionals is also responsible for Management Information Systems (MIS), Finance and Administration The department in the hub of all their operations.
• * Mr. Nagendra Singh, their area manager who can compete with any computer and do a cost analysis in less than 30 seconds. Mr. Singh has always acheived his targets prior to the time given.
• * Another Mughal Mahal magician is Mr. Taj Alam of their Legal Staff who maintains the passport and Legal details of all 457 staff in his memory and can access it faster than from the memory of his laptop.

 

The Partners are proudly recollecting..!

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