Gaurabh Quenim speaks on his different ventures and upcoming projects under his brand GNQ Hospitality
Gaurabh Quenim has made a mark for himself in the hospitality industry at a very young age. He holds a degree in International Hospitality Management from Lavasa and has played an integral role in the pre-opening of several hotels and restaurants like Jakson Inns Phalton and W Goa.
With his hands-on experience of handling operations of hotels, restaurants and catering units across India, Gaurabh made a name for himself through his company, GNQ Hospitality Consultants. The firm offers a complete range of hospitality management services, which has grown over time providing consultancy services to a variety of clientele within the industry.
Gaurabh has carved a niche for himself in Goa’s food scene with his first venture of a fine dine restaurant, The Awadh House followed by ‘Jhakaas’. He also runs a B2B enterprise called ‘Swaasth’ Agro.
Each of these ventures have their own USP and Gaurabh has plans of developing one of these into a franchise.
The Awadh House
The idea behind The Awadh House was to have a restaurant with a cuisine that was different from the run of the mill places that Goa has in plenty. Awadh is a region in India, currently around Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, which was ruled by the Nawabs, and the food consists of mainly mutton dishes, kebabs, lamb stews, all cooked in an explosion of spices. The desserts too feature names like Rose Halwa and Paan Barfi which sets this place apart. Along with delicious cuisine, you can sip on a variety of cocktails spiced with Indian flavours. In order to make his dream a reality, Gaurabh went to Lucknow, met chefs from the traditional Lucknowi families who have mastered the cuisine, visited the local places and put together a team to set up The Awadh House. The restaurant mainly focuses on Awadhi food and has a sprinkling of one or two Punjabi and Kashmiri dishes in their menu. Gaurabh managed to find a heritage house in the heart of Panjim which met his requirements for a restaurant and went on to convert it into a regal world in Goa. A novelty for Goans especially the response to this place has been stupendous, right up from its initiation till date save for the time it opened up after the lockdown. As their regular and loyal customers were in a fear to go out, they shifted their entire focus to delivering food to their doorstep and also planning lovely sit down dinners for them in privacy of their home Things have slowly picked up and the restaurant sees regulars as well as people looking to try out a new cuisine.
‘Jhakaas’
With ‘Jhakaas’, Gaurabh wanted to create a more relaxed and laid back atmosphere when it came to the food which consists mainly of wraps, rolls, biryanis and various kinds of combos. It is a cloud kitchen and is present on food delivery apps like Swiggy and Zomato. A totally different concept from The Awadh House, Jhakaas caters to all segments of people right up from college going students to busy professionals to serve them a quick and delicious filling meal. As of now, present only in Panjim, Gaurabh plans to open a franchise in Margao and Mumbai soon. The concept has gained a close place in the hearts of many, especially for the lip-smacking wraps. It has picked up, just as the lockdown was lifted on restaurants and delivery apps were eased and has been doing extremely well.
‘Swaasth’ Agro
Under this B2B concept, Gaurabh has aimed to provide the best of fresh produce and hotel supplies to the hospitality sector in Goa. They supply all kinds of vegetables, meats, fruits, fish, grocery and dairy products to commercial establishments, hotels, restaurants, catering businesses and domestic markets at attractive prices coupled with the highest hygiene, safety procedures, professional service and standardized procedures. Right up from acquiring fresh produce to packing and delivering, is taken care of by ‘Swaasth’ Agro. Everything is handled through an inventory and order management system and over emails and phone. Orders once placed, regular updates by way of messages are sent to customers. Each item is sealed and labeled at their storage and processing area and later dispatched to their buyers. Most of the produce is not stocked but they have a fair idea about their regular customers and quantities required by them which makes it easier for them to cater to their needs. Swaasth Agro procures their produce from States like Karnataka and Maharashtra. They try to buy directly from the farmers, so as the need for middlemen is reduced and farmers can benefit. Their aim is to provide quality products to their customers at better rates. Gaurabh plans to get into retail with this venture by supplying to retail outlets first and then opening up their own chain of retail outlets someday.
With regards to all his ventures Gaurabh had his fair share of roadblocks along the way. Covid was the major hurdle for all his businesses as his employees had to go back to their home towns, plus he didn’t know when they would come back either. The entire market changed with the pricing and sourcing material from outside the State proved to be arduous task with the SOPs in place, transportation issues and borders being closed. After the lifting of lockdown, things are getting back to normal, albeit slowly but his food ventures have seen a tremendous response especially in the months of December and January.
Gaurabh had his family supporting him throughout, as well as his friends. He also mentions that his competitors are always there to help him when it comes to requirements of any kind. Everyone is a friend and they co-ordinate together making it one large family to work with.
Regarding his future plans, Gaurabh has a few upcoming ventures in the pipeline. There is The Capital Café and Lounge which is an all day café with an exciting food and beverage menu, right in Panjim City.
Bread Tales, another cloud kitchen, planned on the lines of the American diner concept; with burgers sliders, subs, sandwiches and milkshakes on its menu, again delivering through portals like Swiggy and Zomato.
Another upcoming venture is Liquid Diet, which as the name suggests, will serve fresh juices, smoothies, milkshakes as well as hot and cold beverages on its menu. The Street Food Company will feature all sorts of Goan and Indian street food at the beginning and then go on to add international fare as its offerings. Apart from food, Gaurabh has something totally different in mind with Bougainvillea, a lifestyle boutique which will stock designer and traditional garments, home decor items, handmade products right up from incense sticks, soaps and jewelllery. Some of these products will be brought in from Lucknow, while the rest will focus on small artisans and local business people in Goa with no rentals to take care of. It is open to anyone who deals in handmade items keeping all the safety and hygiene standards in mind. Plus he intends to showcase clothes from upcoming designers in Goa, thus making it a boutique which will have a mix of everything.
All these names will feature under the brand name of GNQ Hospitality and they have a lot to look forward to this year.
Gaurabh has a long way to go and his hard work, vision and dedication will ensure his continued success
