Let's get down to building your dream

OUR STORY

Gourmet Sage is a restaurant consulting firm providing the entire gamut of restaurant solutions

A deep and burning passion for the food & beverage industry has driven a bunch of us to come together and put all of our wisdom on the table. We come with decades of experience, and have set up multiple outlets, kitchens, hotels throughout our careers. Our expertise has been garnered from working as business heads at large restaurant chains, and as head chefs with experience at Michelin Star restaurants amongst others. Our hunger to create trendsetting bars, bistros, cafes and restaurants, knows no bounds.


WHAT WE DO

CONCEPTS

What is your culinary dream? Do you see yourself as the proud owner of a café, a resto-bar, a fine dining restaurant? Every eatery needs a strong concept that defines its very ethos. It’s the first step to set yourself up for success, and we’ll do it with you from scratch. We’ll identify strengths and unique offerings (both yours and the restaurant’s), and build a compelling story around it. Then we’ll get cracking on the sensory elements of it all.
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PROJECT VALIDATION

A crucial second step. Before jumping into setting up operations, we will do a thorough vetting of the project for validation. Once we’ve settled on a concept, the next task is to figure out a business plan, crunch numbers, understand neighbourhoods and source markets, scout for the perfect location, and set smart goals for the upcoming months.
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BRANDING AND DESIGN

Even before a customer tries your food, they judge you by your visual language – your brand, logo, colours, words. We work to understand the behaviour patterns and emotions of the target customer, and aim for clarity in communication. We design your interiors, connect you to the right suppliers, and bring a feeling to your space; breathe life into it. We build an image, give your brand a personality, and reflect that in every collateral – offline and online.
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MENU AND KITCHEN PLANNING

We work with expert chefs from across the culinary domain, to help dish out creative and innovative menus that offer exactly what will appeal to your target customer. To keep a guest coming back for more, a restaurant needs solid recipes, a good range of options, and kickass presentation. We’re strong believers in “you eat with your eyes first” and so, visual is of immense importance to us. We’ll also help set up your entire kitchen operations with the primary aim of efficiency
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OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES

Operational procedures and standardisation are a vital part of the restaurant machine. To keep it running smoothly, standards have to be established and followed through every step. We build SOPs for everything from greeting guests to raw material procurement. Our experience with multinational brands means that we bring the best global practices to the table – across cooking, recipes, presentations, hygiene and safety, complaints management, order taking, payments, streamlining and efficiency.
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STAFF AND TRAINING

Your teams are the face of your restaurant, and they all need to be on the same page to be the best representation of your brand. We help you build training structures that bring out the best in everyone and motivate them to keep doing better, thereby resulting in delighted and loyal customers. We bring back of-house teams up to speed on the most efficient operational procedures. Front-of house teams are trained in world-class customer services standards.
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MYSTERY CUSTOMER AUDITS

One of the best ways to understand brand perception is to take a step back and look at it through unbiased, fresh eyes. Our wide network of mystery shoppers will do just that – assessing your restaurant from all customer-facing angles. Food, service, ambience, value for money, hygiene. We help put results together, study various parameters, and provide solutions to any specific problems that are identified.
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FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT

For anyone with a dream to run a franchise restaurant, we step in to build it with you – ground up. What kind of model works for you? How do you go about royalties, finances, legal procedures? We assess your business, define optimum space required, choose the most suitable financial and business models, assist with staffing, and provide end-to-end guidance on operational setup and implementation of brand standards & guidelines.
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TURNAROUND EXISTING RESTAURANTS

Restaurant owners pour their hearts, souls, and bank accounts into their projects. We understand how much effort and resources go into it, and step in to help identify any glitches that may be holding you back. We carry out a complete operational audit and immerse ourselves into your restaurant to learn it inside-out. We then help define SOPs for profitability, focus on bottomlines, suggest marketing and promotional activities, train staff for better service and profit-increasing exercises. While mystery audits help study the customer-facing side of things, we delve right into your back-end to streamline it.
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  • “It is refreshing to come across an organisation that pays so much attention to every aspect of the business. Mr. Rajesh helped us immensely in restructuring our business and developing a franchise model for our business.”

    Arun Krishnan
    Co-Founder, Bobacha

  • "Rajesh inspired me take this right plunge into restaurant business. He has been mentoring & offering me valuable business insights since then. Thanks to his continued support, now am a proud owner of a prominent & successful chain of Asian restaurants."

    Dashrath Reddy
    Partner - Orange Wok

  • "Rajesh was instrumental in setting up our restaurant. In any aspects of business be it marketing, operations or human resources he was there to provide us his insights and guidance."

    Akshay Bothra
    Stuffles

Restaurants

Fine Dine / Casual Dine / QSR

Cafè & Bistros

Microbreweries & Bars

Food Trucks

Kiosks & more

Food Courts / Food Streets

MEET OUR FOUNDER

Rajesh is a passionate and seasoned hospitality professional, with over two decades of experience across operations and business development. He started his career with the Taj Group of Hotels & Resorts, learning the nuances of fine dining operations. Over the past two decades, Rajesh has worked with a number of multinational brands – initially managing restaurants himself, then rising up the ladder to lead other managers towards operational efficiencies & profits. He has been instrumental in scouting for the ideal locations to facilitate rapid expansions, implementing & monitoring training programmes and ensuring adherence to the international brand standards & procedures.

As Business Head for a national chain of restaurants, he was focussed on P&L and operational excellence, while simultaneously building and establishing robust franchise models. When he’s not thinking about concepts and bottom-lines, you will find him at the newest restaurant in town, trying out every dish on their menu. Rajesh holds an MBA in Marketing and Hotel Management, a Diploma in Hotel Management from IHM, Chennai and a Certificate from American Hotel & Motel Association in Food & Beverage Controls. With the Gourmet Sage, Rajesh’s years of solid experience shines through – helping clients with everything from conceptualising to putting food on the table. He is also your best beer-buddy to discuss current affairs.

PLEASE REACH US IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR

Restaurant Consulting

Opening a new restaurant and not sure where to start? Look no further. Let's get talking.

Investment Partnerships

Want to explore the world of restaurants but don't have the time to manage it yourself ? Get in touch for end-to-end management solutions.

Career Opportunities

Hospitality professionals looking for job opportunities in restaurants, bars and cafes, leave us your details and we'll stay in touch.

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