SAHIL TIMBADIA – BONOBO - Partner, bonobo bar.love.food.

When Sahil Timbadia (Sahil Timbadia, Partner, bonobo bar.love.food.) found himself being dismayed by the options available for hanging out with his friends, he did not sit wringing his hands in despair. Rather, he took it on as an opportunity to create such a place; with the result that Sahil is today the proud owner of Bonobo, a happening hangout in the Queen of suburbs, Bandra.Sahil tells us about the origin of Bonobo saying “I first thought about opening a restaurant/bar in Mumbai when in college in the US in 2007. I wanted to open a place where I would like to hang out, since I wasn’t happy with the options available in Mumbai. After graduating in Economics I came back to Mumbai to work in the family steel importing firm and knew immediately I needed something else to keep me interested. After talking with my cousins in Mumbai (now my partners at Bonobo), themselves eager to open a like minded place, we started looking for properties in Bandra because of its vibrancy. After a year of sheer madness, Bonobo opened in December 2008.”

To elaborate about Bonobo, it is a restaurant and bar with an indoor area comprising of a DJ console. It has minimal lighting and an outdoor terrace for alfresco dining and drinking. The bar focus is on specialty drinks and cocktails, along with a well chosen wine list. There is a bar each for the indoor and outdoor area, with an interactive bar situated indoors where one can make their own drinks under the guidance of an in-house mixologist. The food menu is designed for the casual bar eater as well as for the serious diner who craves a relaxed atmosphere. They do not have a particular clientele, nor do they target any such groups. “I believe this provides for a unique and unhurried vibe in fast paced Mumbai” opines Sahil, who feels that what worked in their favour was that “We shied away from formulaic concepts and were willing to give our vision a chance to succeed. Everyone coming to Bonobo has a unique experience, be it dining under the stars, making their own drinks with friends in our interactive bar, dancing away to our DJ or having a quiet drink after work. I see this happening simultaneously with everyone comfortable at the same time. I do not see this very often and you could say this is our USP.”

Well, seems like Sahil and his partners’ vision has certainly reaped rich dividends as is evident when he reveals ”When other restaurateurs/bar owners as well as food critics and media praise your establishment you know your hard work is paying off. But more so, when you see a group of people you don’t know have a great time and thank you for it, it is even more satisfactory. We will turn one in December 2009; I can’t wait to celebrate our anniversary with friends and regulars!”

Of course, as smooth as his journey sounds, it did have its set of challenges to conquer. “Dealing with differing opinions between partners, construction delays, and unreliable suppliers have all given me sleepless nights. My advice to budding restaurateurs/bar owners is to have everything planned well in advance as opposed to winging it. Make clear designations and back the person in charge. Everybody makes mistakes and needs to learn from it. Keep decision making to a select few and try to avoid doing business with family and friends. Instead go for the best person in their respective field, they might be little more expensive, but delays and lack of required quality can cost a lot more in the bottom-line.”

On an additional note of advice, entrepreneur Sahil says “any restaurateur/bar owner will tell you that being in the service industry requires special skills and temperament. You have to be ready to have sleepless nights, deal with various government and municipal agencies, be ready to swallow your ego and above all, have a lot of patience. It is not for the faint hearted or for people who prefer to have a routine based life. The above are a must, but to truly succeed in this business I think the following are extremely invaluable – innovation, creativity, delegation skills, team skills and a risk appetite. I have had to acquire the aforementioned and will continue to hone these skills by learning constantly, for there is no slacking period in the hospitality industry.”

Even though the career has robbed him of being a morning person, Sahil is far from calling it quits or regretting his decision. On the contrary, he is raring to go for more, as is evident when he exults “We plan to open one more, maybe two properties in the coming year. It will be a unique property just like Bonobo, but with a different concept and design, suited to the location of the property.”

- as told to Reshma S Kulkarni for YourStory