Sakura, the Japanese restaurant at The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi will soon be opening as a standalone restaurant at several locations across India. The hotel has already finalised the first independent location at the Time Tower in Gurgaon, which is being built as an office building and complex by Suncity Builders.
Work at the restaurant at Time Tower, Gurgaon has started and it will be ready for opening within the next three to four months. The General Manager of the hotel, Aubrey Mullerworth said that the hotel was looking to co-brand Sakura and Craft House. Craft House is the hotel's exclusive shopping store that sells Indian handicrafts such as pashmina shawls, jewellery, ayurvedic spa and bath products and unique tea selections.
Mullerworth did not divulge details, but said that the hotel was looking to put in a large investment in this venture. "Almost 90 per cent of our business comes from corporate clients and business travel. We have realised that with the growth of corporate parks and commercial centres, there is a huge scope for the restaurant to do well, even as an independent entity," says Mullerworth. Every standalone Sakura will have a Craft House in the same space, and this in turn will also help promote the Craft House.
The co-branding of the restaurants and the shopping centre is based on the concept that the Craft House will act as a place where guests can go to, when they are waiting for a table in the restaurant. The hotel is also looking at investment opportunities for restaurants in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. They are also scouting for locations for new hotels in South India. The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi, is a member of Summit Hotels and Resorts, an international luxury business hotel brand and is a five star deluxe full service hotel.
Source:Hospitalitybizindia.com 3rdJuly2008.
