When two beauty queens and a herbal hero gear up for Indian gastronomic delights
What’s common between Vandhana Luthra, Shahnaz Husain and Amit Burman? Well, apart from being in the health and beauty business, all three of them have developed a hitherto hidden penchant for the restaurant business. While Amit recently announced his tie up with the Spain based Eat Out Group to set up a chain of specialty restaurants, Vandhana and Shahnaz have been at the game for some time now.
Interestingly, for this initiative, Amit Burman has set up a different venture, called Lite Bite Foods, which will invest Rs. 50 crores in the JV. Since analysts said that such a late entry in the restaurant business may not yeild desired results, Amit played safe, instead of taking a gamble with parent company Dabur.
In contrast, instead of setting up a different venture, Vandhana Luthra (entrepreneur/ mentor of VLCC) has set up her restaurant business under the umbrella of VLCC. But to hedge her bets, she’s launched just one restaurant – VLCC Alive. Explains Luthra, “If we get a good response then I will expand across the country. My restaurant will provide only low calorie & healthy food.” The lady is banking on her earnestly generated flank of VLCC’s slim and trim. Beauty entrepreneur, Shahnaz Husain is also planning to unleash a coffee chain. She has been testing the water with a pilot model in Mumbai since 2001. Unfortunately last year, her dream of becoming India’s coffee queen was shattered on patents related issue by Starbucks. Her gameplan is to launch her coffee chain across India in 2008. “I’m confident that the chain will help strengthen our beauty business too,” says Husain.
Unlike Burman, both Vandhana and Shahnaz are betting on their respective beauty businesses to edge forward in this race. But will experience in the health & beauty biz help serve the Indian palate better? That remains to be seen.
What’s common between Vandhana Luthra, Shahnaz Husain and Amit Burman? Well, apart from being in the health and beauty business, all three of them have developed a hitherto hidden penchant for the restaurant business. While Amit recently announced his tie up with the Spain based Eat Out Group to set up a chain of specialty restaurants, Vandhana and Shahnaz have been at the game for some time now.
Interestingly, for this initiative, Amit Burman has set up a different venture, called Lite Bite Foods, which will invest Rs. 50 crores in the JV. Since analysts said that such a late entry in the restaurant business may not yeild desired results, Amit played safe, instead of taking a gamble with parent company Dabur.
In contrast, instead of setting up a different venture, Vandhana Luthra (entrepreneur/ mentor of VLCC) has set up her restaurant business under the umbrella of VLCC. But to hedge her bets, she’s launched just one restaurant – VLCC Alive. Explains Luthra, “If we get a good response then I will expand across the country. My restaurant will provide only low calorie & healthy food.” The lady is banking on her earnestly generated flank of VLCC’s slim and trim. Beauty entrepreneur, Shahnaz Husain is also planning to unleash a coffee chain. She has been testing the water with a pilot model in Mumbai since 2001. Unfortunately last year, her dream of becoming India’s coffee queen was shattered on patents related issue by Starbucks. Her gameplan is to launch her coffee chain across India in 2008. “I’m confident that the chain will help strengthen our beauty business too,” says Husain.
Unlike Burman, both Vandhana and Shahnaz are betting on their respective beauty businesses to edge forward in this race. But will experience in the health & beauty biz help serve the Indian palate better? That remains to be seen.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
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