Puneet Pal had been exposed to the restaurant business since his childhood. His father was already running a restaurant business and that’s where he learned the art of restaurant management. Professionally, Puneet has been trained in Hotel Management and has worked in ITC Maurya for a brief period. He decided to quit working there, as the love for food and the restaurant business drew all his attention. He took over the family restaurant business and restructured it as what today is famous as Punnu Biryani, a household name for people in West Delhi. Punnu Biryani is known for its famous, high-quality Biryani, and the brand has been growing rapidly.
In Conversation With Puneet Pal Of Punnu Biryani
In an exclusive interview with The Restaurant Times, Puneet Pal gives his views on the growing trend of Biryanis, the importance of location, marketing and a lot more.
The Biryani Trend
According to Pal, biryani has always been the alternative for junk food for Indians. The love for biryani for Indians has been constant since the very beginning and is supposedly never going to die. Biryani is associated not only with special occasions but it has also become the food people binge on, late at night. Biryani and Indians, these two terms have always gone hand-in-hand. Lately, a number of biryani outlets have emerged to cater to this growing demand and this trend is not likely to die any time soon.
‘Punnu Biryani is a result of our undying family love for biryani. Biryani is not just any food. It has a cult following which has always seen a growth. Today restaurant owners have understood that selling biryani can lead a brand towards success rapidly. Hence, there are a lot of restaurants coming up with biryani as their focus dish because they know that the love for biryani in the hearts of Indians will never die’, says Pal.
Growing Trend Of Takeaway Restaurants
According to Pal, these days people have no time to spare. Eating delivered food is no more a luxury but it has become an everyday habit. Delivery as a set up has seen an overall rise in the last few years for convenience-seeking consumers, and these especially are the millennials who are are showing a growing appetite for having food delivered at home.
‘Delivery is the future of the restaurant business, and many businesses are revamping themselves as takeaways. The service is growing rapidly. But it’s increasingly replacing existing restaurant business rather than taking business away from grocers or other food retailers,’ says Pal.
Importance Of Packaging
According to Pal, food packaging is the only criteria for customers to judge a delivery brand. Delivery outlets should always ensure that the food is packaged efficiently. Efficient packaging helps protect foods against physical, chemical and environmental elements that could possibly tarnish all of the food if not packaged correctly.
Staff Happiness
According to Pal, bringing together and hiring the best staff for a restaurant brand should always be on priority. Once the business starts expanding, customers are streaming in, and the feedback is on point, it is then essential to acknowledge the staff who are executing the operations. Staff happiness is necessary to maintain a high level of excellence.
Make sure to hold regular training sessions for the staff to provide them with a sense of purpose. If the restaurant’s training method is listless and passive and does not provide detailed instruction to new or existing employees, workers would be less motivated to complete the job as necessary. Team building exercises push the staff to work and also encourages them. Most of the restaurant mishaps happen because of lack of training. Even if you have hired an experienced staff member, you still need to train them according to the culture and policies of your restaurant.
Marketing Dynamics
According to Pal, marketing is no more what it used to be like. Word-of-mouth and old-fashioned advertising are no longer enough to maintain the endurance one needs in the restaurant space. The restaurant industry is based on sensational experiences. While customers may enjoy with their taste buds, they also expect a feast for eyes as well.
Having a strong social media presence will work prominently for improving the restaurant’s brand authority and establishing the presence as an important player in the restaurant scene. Every new customer or interested person who follows the brand likes a photo, or shares your post is helping to grow your restaurant’s reputation and presence. Each social interaction is beneficial for the restaurant’s brand. ‘At Punnu biryani, we make sure to send a feedback message to our customers a day after they ate our food. Feedback is no less than advertising as it reminds the patrons that we remember them, and are ready to accept their suggestions and make the changes accordingly,’ says Pal.
Pal concludes by sharing his future plans. ‘We plan to open an outlet of Punnu biryani near Connaught Place by mid- of 2019. We are planning to introduce a new menu with diversified cuisines. We are even ready to give out franchise if we get hold of people who provide us the assurance of quality that we provide.’ says Pal.
