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First PrinciplesFirst Principles is a weekly interview podcast comprising authentic, candid, and insightful conversations between some of Indias most accomplished founders and business leaders, and Rohin Dharmakumar, The Kens CEO & co-founder. Author: The Ken
First Principles is a weekly interview podcast comprising authentic, candid, and insightful conversations between some of Indias most accomplished founders and business leaders, and Rohin Dharmakumar, The Kens CEO & co-founder. From personal philosophies, mental models and decision making frameworks, to reading habits, parenting styles or personal interests, each episode will delve into what makes each of these leaders unique. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Part 1: Impresario's Riyaaz Amlani on Mocha, "Handmade," four near-deaths and 25 years of building places to be
Episode 14
Sunday, 14 June, 2026
Check out our corporate subscription plan: https://the-ken.com/corporate-teams/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=corporate-subscriptionsPart 1 of Rohin Dharmakumar's conversation with Riyaaz Amlani is the origin story: why a returning UCLA grad decided Bombay was missing "places to be," how Mocha became Social, and what it actually takes to keep a restaurant group alive for 25 years in the highest-mortality business there is. The shisha ban, the private-equity money that never arrived, COVID, the marble hustle at age six, and the real engine underneath it all: people.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro: 95% fail by year two — and the man who didn't01:46 Why Mocha in 2001: a city missing "places to be"03:23 Bombay the "coolest cousin"; South Bombay snobbery moves to Bandra05:05 The MTV / Gen X generation and a West-facing India07:47 UCLA, entertainment management, and learning to live culture11:29 What "Handmade" and "Impresario" mean14:13 The business today: 80 restaurants, 900 cr, 5,500 people15:29 Why restaurants die; learning from the community18:02 People vs processes — and why he keeps returning to people19:32 Social: the millennial third space and the shisha ban25:41 The Gen Z puzzle; Saltwater to Bandra Bourn; evolution vs revolution30:46 Real estate: location vs locality and India's "80 pockets"32:32 The metric that matters: AOV x covers x table turnaround35:33 COVID and surviving "mass-extinction events"39:17 The town hall: the team takes 40% pay to save the company40:51 What losing a restaurant feels like; the discipline to quit42:44 Mental model: 4-5 engines to ride economic cycles46:42 The marble business and hustling from age 1251:20 Bowling alleys & Phoenix Mills: people buy time together53:44 Self-rating: 7.5 as a parent, 5 as a CEO55:15 Building a restaurant vs building an organization56:15 The HR crisis: severe attrition, talent going abroad58:44 The one thing he can't delegate: layouts and property selection1:00:49 Becoming a "boardroom warrior" against his will KEY COMPANIES & BRANDSImpresario Handmade Restaurants; Mocha; Social; Saltwater Cafe/Grill; Bandra Born; Cafe Coffee Day; Phoenix Mills "Bowling Company"; Amoeba; UCLA. KEY CONCEPTSThird spaces; "handmade" at scale; West-aspirational MTV-generation culture; people vs processes; AOV x covers x table turnaround; frequency as a metric; location vs locality / "80 pockets"; evolution vs revolution; mass-extinction events & resilience; working-capital-negative business; building a restaurant vs building an organization; restaurant-industry attrition; the layouts/property selection he won't delegate.
