For over three decades, restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani has been a prominent name in India's food and beverage industry. As the founder and CEO of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality, the company behind popular brands such as Social, Smoke House Deli, Prithvi Cafe, Slink & Bardot and several others, Amlani has built one of the country's most recognisable hospitality businesses.
Today, Impresario's restaurant portfolio generates annual revenues of around ₹900 crore. But according to Amlani, the secret behind that success is not a complicated business formula. Instead, it comes down to understanding customers, paying attention to feedback and creating spaces where people genuinely enjoy spending time.
Speaking to content creator Navan Jaiswal in a recent vox-pop interview, the Mumbai-based entrepreneur opened up about his journey, the lessons he has learned over 35 years in business and his philosophy on achieving success.
'I build spaces where people can come and enjoy'
The interview began with a simple introduction. "My name is Riyaaz and I run restaurants," Amlani told Jaiswal.
When asked which restaurants he owns, he replied: "Social, Bandra Born, Mezcalita, Slink & Bardot, Prithvi Cafe."
Jaiswal then asked how much revenue his restaurant business generates annually.
{{/usCountry}}Jaiswal then asked how much revenue his restaurant business generates annually.
{{/usCountry}}" ₹900 crore," Riyaaz Amlani responded.
The conversation soon turned to the obvious question: what does it take to build a hospitality empire of that scale?
For Amlani, the answer lies in creating memorable customer experiences.
"I build spaces where people can come and enjoy," the founder of Social Offline said.
The importance of listening to customers
The restaurant industry is notoriously difficult. Industry estimates suggest that a large percentage of cafes and restaurants shut down within a few years of opening due to intense competition or rising costs.
Asked how he has managed to build multiple successful restaurant brands in such a challenging environment, Amlani pointed to a customer-first approach.
"What you want is not important," Amlani explained. "What customers want is important."
He also stressed the importance of paying close attention to customer feedback — both positive and negative.
"If customers praise you, listen to that. If customers complain, listen to that as well," he said.
The philosophy, he suggested, has helped Impresario stay relevant and continue attracting customers across different cities and demographics.
100-square-foot shop to hospitality success
Amlani's entrepreneurial journey began long before Social became one of India's most recognisable cafe chains.
According to a Forbes India profile, his introduction to the hospitality business came through Mocha, the Moroccan-style cafe that his father started on the porch of Berry's, a restaurant operated by the family in Mumbai's Churchgate area.
Before that, however, Amlani was already learning the fundamentals of business.
"I was 16 years old when I started working at that 100 square foot shop in Sion," he recalled.
Over the next three-and-a-half decades, he would go on to build one of India's largest restaurant groups, expanding from a small family business to a hospitality company with a nationwide footprint.
Amlani's advice for success
Towards the end of the conversation, Jaiswal asked the entrepreneur what it takes to become successful.
Amlani's answer centred on commitment and prioritisation.
“There are two ways in life. Either you can relax and maintain work-life balance. Or you can completely prioritize work and focus on your work and career. If you do that, success is guaranteed,” said the owner of Social.