Moshe's

Moshe's
Private
Industry Restaurant
Founded Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (2004)
Founder Moshe Shek
Headquarters Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Number of locations
 13 outlets (April 2014)
Area served
 Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Owner
  • Prakash Shetty (90%)
  • Moshe Shek (10%)
Website Moshes.in

Moshe's is an Indian chain of restaurants and cafés specializing in Mediterranean cuisine.[1] Indian hospitality business magazine Express Hotelier & Caterer describes the cuisine as "Mediterranean fare with a bent on Turkish, Moroccan, Israeli and Italian paired exclusively with wines".[2] Moshe's makes its own bread and dessert items.[3] The cafés are branded Cafe Moshé's and the restaurants are branded Moshe's.[4]

The initial restaurants were opened and operated wholly by signature chef and founder Moshe Shek. In February 2013, Shek sold a 90% interest in the company to Prakash Shetty of Bangalore.[5]

History

Moshe's was founded by Moshe Shek, an Indian Jew who was born and raised in Mumbai.[6] Shek visited Israel in 1988[7] for a one-month group trip, during which he worked in a Kibbutz (a type of collective community in Israel). He later completed training courses at Sophia Polytechnic and at Richmont, Switzerland. He opened Caterbility, a catering company, in 1992, his first business venture in India. He visited Israel again in 1995.[8] He returned to India in 1999, when he opened "Athena", a combination restaurant and lounge[8][9] financed by Chateau Indage. He worked there for a year and a half.[3] Shek claims to have "introduced the trend of having a restaurant and lounge under the same roof and a separate members' lounge".[2]

Shek teamed up with restaurateur Farhan Azmi to open "Cafe Basilico" in 2001, where he worked for approximately a year.[3] In 2003, Shek finally opened his own restaurant in New Delhi, called "Moshe's Oliva", without any promoter or associate.[3][9] It was the first stand alone restaurant in Delhi to be named after a chef.[10] Shek described the decision to go at it alone saying, "Having worked with promoters, I know now that henceforth I would rather not and do my own thing".[2]

Within 6 months of opening "Moshe's Oliva" in New Delhi, two Moshe's branded outlets were opened in Mumbai. The first was opened in Cuffe Parade in 2004.[11] It was located in a 1,600 square feet converted bungalow.[2][12] The next outlet opened at Bombay Gymkhana. The chain expanded further in Mumbai by opening outlets at Crossword Bookstores at Kemps Corner, as well as restaurants in Fort and Colaba.[3]

The company launched Moshe's Bakery Café at the Gateway of India in South Mumbai in January 2009. The café offers sandwiches, delicatessen cheese, desserts and other take away products as well as short-order meal options.[13] The fifth Moshe's outlet opened in Palladium Mall, Lower Parel on 1 August 2011.[14] In February 2013, Shek sold a 90% interest in the company to Prakash Shetty of Bangalore.[5]

Cuisine and decor

Moshe's cuisine mainly specializes in Mediterranean food.[9] Moshe's also serves food from Portuguese, Greek, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines.[15] Items available on the menu are frequently rotated.[9]

Milk and meat are completely separated in the kitchens of Moshe's outlets, in keeping with Jewish law. However, Moshe Shek is not an observant Jew, and the food is not otherwise kosher.[8]

Shek worked closely with architect Ajit Shilpi, who helped design Moshe's outlets. Shek describes the brand: "Moshe's is an up-market dining destination without being prissy. The tabs are reasonable and the ambience, homely. The high ceiling, dark wooden flooring, patio and garden seating give that away."[2]

Catering

Moshe's sells prepared food to Westside, a department store chain owned by the Tata Group.[16][17]

Locations

There are currently 13 Moshe's outlets, all located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.[18]

Café Moshe's
Moshe's Restaurant
Sufra by Moshe's

References

  1. ↑ "Metro Plus Delhi / Eating Out : Happy Birthday". The Hindu. 2005-01-22. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Bhisham Mansukhani (2004-01-12). "Moshe Brand To Front Shek’s Third Coming". Hospitality.financialexpress.com. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Team YS (2011-11-16). "MOSHE SHEK – India’s First Signature Chef". Yourstory.in. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  4. ↑ "Moshe’s Will Open At Palladium". Mumbai Boss. 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Biswarup Gooptu (2013-02-18). "Hotelier Prakash Shetty set to buy majority stake in Moshe's". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  6. ↑ "Business biggies in race for Mumbai chain Moshe’s". The Times of India. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  7. ↑ Roxanne Kavarana. "Shalom Mumbai". Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Aimee Ginsburg (2005-01-09). "Passage to India". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Shinibali Mitra (March 2008). "What's Cooking?". Mumbai Touchdown. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  10. ↑ Anoothi Vishal (November 2003). "Personality On A Platter". Routes:The Gateway Magazine. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  11. ↑ Devendra Das (2010-08-30). "Mumbai's Most Overrated Restaurants". Mumbai Boss. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  12. ↑ Purva Mehra (2010-10-15). "Restaurant Review: Moshe’s". Mumbai Boss. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  13. ↑ Dheera Majumder (2009-07-25). "Moshe’s to expand with new outlets in Mumbai". Hospitality Biz India. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  14. ↑ "Olive Has A New Menu; Kittichai Is Back at Koh". Mumbai Boss. 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  15. ↑ "A Mediterranean Touch!". 2003-07-22. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  16. ↑ "Westside Introduces A New Gourmet Foods Division". Mumbai Boss. 2011-04-14. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  17. ↑ "Westside gets into gourmet retailing". Afaqs.com. 2011-04-08. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
  18. ↑ "Cafes & Restaurants". Moshes.in. Retrieved 2013-06-03.