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Apart from earning a fortune from the game and product endorsements,
India's star cricketers are turning to the restaurant business
to cash in on the ever-growing trend among the urbanites to
dine out in plush environs, reports P S Shiva.
Cricket being the perennial garam masala of
the nation, India's leading players seem to be taking to the
culinary business one after the other as they try to tickle
the taste buds of their innumerable fans to fatten their own
purses. From little master Sachin Tendulkar to the ever-controversial
former skipper Sourav Ganguly, the number of cricketers who
have launched eateries seems to be multiplying.
The year 2005 saw two new entrants in the form of pacer Zaheer
Khan and swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag. While the Najafgarh
man opened his signature vegetarian eating joint 'Sehwag Favourites'
in Delhi's Fun Republic Cineplex, Zaheer launched his multi-cuisine
restaurant and lounge 'ZK's' in Pune.
Zaheer is frank in admitting that the series of injuries that
he has suffered in recent years prompted him to make a foray
into the restaurant business.
"A pace bowler is susceptible to injuries and his career,
very often, does not extend beyond 35. There has to be something
to fall back on after a cricketing career and, for me, food
seemed the obvious choice since it is something I am interested
in," says the pace bowler, now in his 20s.
The 8,000 sq feet restaurant has been set up by pumping in
an estimated Rs 3.5 crore and provides Indian, western and
oriental cuisine, as also a selection of fusion food.
Zaheer feels the rigorous travel schedule of an international
cricketer enables him to pick up a good first hand knowledge
of the cuisine served across the globe.
Echoes Jayendra Kulkarni, the General Manager (Sales and Marketing)
of 'Tendulkar's', the swanky restaurant at Colaba in Mumbai
that was opened in November, 2002.
''Cricketers like Tendulkar have the experience of savouring
the dishes all over the world. Naturally, they have an enriching
idea of food served internationally. And as for Tendulkar,
I can say that he is a keen and adventurous foodie. He believes
that he can reach out to his fans more easily by catering
to their gastronomic tastes,'' Kulkarni says.
In contrast to the highly priced swanky restaurants of Tendulkar
and Ganguly, Sehwag's eatery is more affordable for the common
man, with the most expensive item on the menu - Multan Ke
Sultan Ki Tigdi - costing Rs 309 (in remembrance of the 309
struck by the dashing opener at Multan).
As the name of the dish suggests, the aim is to fully exploit
the brand image of the star. This is true not only at 'Sehwag
Favourites' but each of the other restaurants as well. The
eateries have cricket and the achievements of the player as
the theme. For instance, two other dishes at 'Sehwag Favourites'
are christened 'Unbeaten Century Partnership' and 'Half Century
Partnership'.
Similarly, several of the dishes in 'Tendulkar's' have been
marked Sachin's Favourite, with the management claiming that
authentic recipes prepared by the master blaster's family
members, especially his mother (who is said to be the main
creative force behind the popular Fried Bombay Duck) form
an important part of the menu.
At 'Sourav's', which covers 12,000 ft spread across four
floors, the coffee shop has been named One Day, while the
Continental and Chinese unit is called Over Boundary. The
dining hall serving Indian and Mughlai dishes is Maharaj (Ganguly's
nickname), while the lounge on the top floor goes by the appellation
Prince of Cal (the name Ganguly is affectionately referred
to as).
The restaurants also house cricketing memorabilia of the stars.
'Sourav's' proudly displays various prizes including the Natwest
Cup won by the former Indian skipper, while 'Tendulkar's'
showcases among a plethora of awards and other collections,
the coveted Player of the Tournament trophy won by the Mumbaikar
in the 2003 World Cup.
In fact, 'Tendulkar's' goes a step further. It has a separate
souvenir shop that sells Sachin Tendulkar merchandise ranging
from colourful t shirts, baseball caps, mugs, autograph books
to china plates and crystal glasses, to name a few.
The relentless promotions and good packaging of the respective
brands have already made the eateries success stories.
Sanjay Das, the Brand Partner of 'Sourav's', says on an average
day the restaurant located on the upmarket Park Street at
the heart of Kolkata sees a footfall of 250. ''We want it
to run just like any other hotel. But yes, whether we want
it or not, it has become a tourist attraction of sorts for
people visiting Kolkata''.
Kulkarni concurs. ''We get cricket fans and Sachin's admirers
from as far as London among our clientele. The youngsters,
the middle classes, who love the cricketer so much, are also
there''. In fact, as an additional attraction for the tiny
ones, 'Tendulkar's' has a kids' room well furnished with gizmos
like minis slides, mini cars and cartoons. This also allows
the couples some quality time with each other as their children
enjoy with their peers.
However, the credit should go to India's only World Cup winning
captain Kapil Dev for having showed the way by starting a
full-fledged hotel.
Soon after India's historic triumph at Lords 23 years back,
the legendary all-rounder opened the 'Kapil Hotel' in Chandigarh.
The compact 12-room (plus a suite) hotel has been refurbished
and adorned with Kapil's memorabilia last year.
''In fact, in India, nobody is really into preserving sporting
history. That's sad… This venture, though personal,
is a small attempt to keep something for posterity…
Kuch to log ek jagah dekh sakte hain…" he says.
The bat with which he scored that memorable 175 against Zimbabwe
in that World Cup as also the flannels he put on in his last
Test appearance in Hamilton now have the pride of place in
the hotel.
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