KARACHI: Café Koel is the place to be if you’re young and want to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Owned and operated by Noor Jehan Belgrami and Rasikh Ismail the eatery is a small serene world away from the racket of bustling streets.
Business Recorder had the pleasure of interviewing Rasikh. This what he had to say:
BR: Tell us a bit about yourself? Your background, education and interests?
RI: I am in the truest sense a Pakistani that belongs to all the places or at least I feel like that. My father was in the air force and we were moved from city to city every two years. I have extremely fond memories of all the places and people I visited. Technically, I am a mixture of Urdu speaking, Punjabi, Yousaf Zai; partly Sunni and partly Shia, yet very comfortable in my own skin. I believe this is the reason I do not understand all the chaos created because of these differences. Ours is an extremely cohesive family.
BR: When did you start your career? Tell us about your experiences, international and local.
RI: I started my career when I was in College in Florida, studying Hospitality Management, and working part time about 40 hours a week at Dunkin Donuts. As a part time foreign student, my responsibilities were to mop floors, wash dishes and sell Donuts and Croissants in the graveyard shift and then heading to College straight from there. This very first job had the most impact on my career since it taught me dignity of labor; taking pride in whatever one is doing. After Graduation, I joined Roosevelt Hotel as an internee, which is located on 45th Madison Av and at that time, it was run by the Ramada group. I remember that one day, all the contractual staff went on strike, Food and Beverages Manager was on leave and I had to handle banquets, breakfast, lunch and dinner for 10 straight days with literally a handful of support. I was thrown in at the deep end but I came out as a winner with a massive knowledge. Next step towards my career was when I was hired as a GM for Grace Hotel Services in New York and was heading 4 hotel’s Food and Beverage departments. We were management contractors and would lease F&B business from hotels, turn them around and convert them into profitable ventures. I loved what I was doing as it had elements of creativity & entrepreneurship. I continued with this for 5 successful years and then started to feel homesick. Soon I landed at Karachi where my parents were living and joined Avari Hotels as F&B Manager. Later, I was hired at PC Hotel as F&B director and soon afterwards, joined Cupola as Head of Food Services and launched a number of restaurants including TGIF and Pizza Express at ‘The Point’, now called Park Towers. Due to security related mishap, I moved to Dubai and then to Kuwait for a couple of years and was heading Pizza Express in the region. But my life didn’t stop here. During the time, Kuwait was in war, Pakistani families were not allowed to stay there, and hence I was also forced to move back to Pakistan. Here in Pakistan, before I joined MCR Pvt Ltd for Pizza Hut, I was managing the famous musical band, “Strings” for almost a year. It was a memorable experience for me. Then later, when I was with Pizza Hut, I got a job offer from Carlson Group, owners of TGIF restaurants. In reality, this is the largest casual dinning chain in the world and I was hired as the Director of Operations for Asia, Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Cyprus. This job was incredible since I got an opportunity to experience a franchisor’s perspective, and a chance to travel the world. After 8 magnificent years, I decided to slow down traveling. I have recently joined MCR Pvt Ltd (Pizza Hut) and MCR Overseas as their Deputy Chief Operating Officer.
BR: How different was living and working abroad to what you are doing today?
RI: I have always preferred to live in Pakistan; I am a family oriented person and fancy our lifestyle, culture and traditions. As a student, moving abroad was exciting especially in my case where I had an extremely sheltered and protective up bringing which did wonders in making me independent. Today, I can survive on any part of the world with out being dependant on anyone. In terms of work environment, abroad is generally more professional since there is clarity on policies and expectations. The places where I worked were not Seth run businesses which were run on whims and favoritism.
BR: What's your take on the hotel industry in Pakistan?
RI: The hotel industry in Pakistan is growing at a very slow pace. It is very limited for obvious reasons, but still doing good based on local/internal tourism mainly corporate travel.
BR: And what's your take on consumer trends regarding tastes? How is it different from the past?
RI: We as a nation have a tendency to undermine our audience’s intelligence, whether it is advertising or services. Our consumers for Koel Café are very well traveled, intelligent, artistically inclined and able members of society. One of the main reasons restaurants in Pakistan are shut down after the initial investment is that they are not able to meet the expectations of consumers. As for variety, I agree we all need a change but the game changer is quality not variety; quality of overall experience makes or breaks the deal for restaurants. This quality obsession will continue and the Bar will be raised as a continuous process for us to deliver on expectations.
BR: Koel seems to be an artistic affair. How did you come up with the concept? How many years has it been since its inception?
RI: Café Koel has been serving guests for two and a half years now Masha Allah. It’s not purely a business venture for me and my partner, Noor Jehan Bilgrami, Koel Café was a place in my mind where I could enjoy and afford the menu I liked. Thus, this is how the pricing strategy is developed. The courtyard was a perfect fit and love at first sight happened. Both, Noor Jehan and I have strong belief systems and opinions, we are the best example of a loving, affectionate and comfortable partnership where both of us give respect and space to each other.
BR: Koel seems to be culinary delight for both food lovers and health critics. How do you strike a balance?
RI: I have a 4 rule formula. Firstly, I do not accept anything that’s not good enough for us. Secondly, I am not driven by bottom line and profits rather satisfaction, smiles and experiences. Thirdly, I always listen carefully to our guests. Last but not the least; I try to motivate my team by taking care of them and encouraging participation.
BR: You have used very different tastes in your dishes other than the traditional Karachi taste. How well is it working for you?
RI: We are one of the busiest cafés in the region with a decent sized like minded following; I think we did well and continue to do so.
BR: How many people do you cater to in a day?
RI: We cater around 125-200 customers per day.
BR: Do you have plans to expand Koel or would it maintain its exclusivity as it is currently?
RI: Right now my plate is full but again if we come across a place that we fall in love with, surely you will see Koel Café 2. It could be in any city.
BR: There seems to be a touch of dhaani from plants to sikanjabeen. Is there a secret obsession with the shade?
RI: Association: Yes! Obsession, no. Dhaani incidentally was the album released when I was with Bilal and Faisal (Strings). Actually, check out Koel Café around Eid! You will be surprised. We are not going to be stagnant ever whether it is the menu or ambiance. Change is part of the game; the only thing static is going to be serenity; high quality and great experiences.
BR: Are you particular about ambiance, architecture and serenity in other areas of your life as well?
RI: I am and more than me, Noor Jehan is. She is brilliant and as we have similar aesthetics, there is never a discussion on details.
BR: What is your most favorite destination for a vacation?
RI: Anywhere I can be with my family in a relaxed and fun environment. Venues can change.
BR: What is your favorite cuisine in the world? Any favourites for dining?
RI: Desi all the way.
BR: What is your family’s take on your restaurant?
RI: They just love it. We go and dine there as a family and it’s always a treat for the kids too (who, by the way, are allowed only till 8pm like all other kids).
BR: What would be your future plans regarding the hotel industry in Pakistan?
RI: I think Hashwani’s can answer that better.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2011
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