Garam Dharam will open in Delhi by Oct ’15, at least seven more are planned.
Bollywood actor Dharmendra is getting into the hospitality business with his own chain if restaurants & a hotel too. He has become the partner and brand ambassador of an upcoming chain of restaurants in his honor ‘Garam Dharam’. Simultaneously, he is building a 30-cottage resort on a 12-acre farm in Lonavala, Maharashtra to be called ‘Kulli Yaar Di’ which means ‘a friend’s house.’
Garam Dharam is in partnership with Umang Tewari of Vault Cafe and Cafe Out of the Box in New Delhi. Tewari said each outlet costs INR 3-4 crore and some of his existing restaurants did annual sales of INR 8-10 crore each. The inspiration and theme for the restaurant chain will be Dharmendra’s rustic, raw, angry man image.
“I am taking a plunge into something exciting,” Dharmendra, told ET. He said the hospitality ventures were a way for him to connect with his fans. He joins celebrities, including Bollywood and cricket stars, who have ventured into businesses, seeking to leverage their brand and popularity.
“We will create a chain of Dhaba themed restaurants,” said Tewari, who has set up a company, Veeru Foods Pvt., for the venture in a revenue-sharing deal with Dharmendra.
The first Garam Dharam-branded restaurant will open in Delhi by October and another 7-8 will be rolled out subsequently in North India. Dharmendra is closely involved in the project, which was proposed to the actor about six months ago. “Since then, he has been involved in the business and has been providing his inputs on a regular basis on everything, including the interiors and the menu,” Tewari said.
Among the actor’s suggestions are Iranian food and interiors inspired from a horse stable.
