Sagar Papaji Ka Dhaba at Hanuman Tekdi in Koti, now has a logo — a bespectacled smiling Sardar. Along with it, the restaurant that started in 1985 as a hole-in-the wall takeaway that served only kebabs and rumali roti, has now got a 360 degree makeover. Now a full fledged restaurant, it boasts of interiors that suit diners for whom ambience matters as well as the food. That’s thanks to Ashmeet Dua, Joginder Singh’s grandson who now runs the restaurant.
When the dhaba was started to supplement Joginder’s salary to meet his family expenses, the only person helping him was his wife Harbans Kaur (Ashmeet’s grandmother). While she cooked Joginder handled sales. Gradually, Joginder turned the takeaway place into a modest sit-in restaurant and later his son Kuldeep Singh (Ashmeet’s father) expanded it to include a separate family dining section. “When grandfather started the restaurant, he wanted to serve absolutely homely Punjabi food. That is why dishes like baingan ka bharta, keema-kaleji are very popular. When dad took over, he added a few dishes to the menu. The tandoor items have remained constant,” says Ashmeet.
The restaurant is so popular that customers can be found waiting for dinner during weekends. Most of the customers only queue up to lay their hands on the tandoori chicken. With such popularity, why did Ashmeet need to give it a face lift? He says the facelift was necessary. “The ground floor has served its time; it needed a few repairs as well. So, dad let me decide on how to take the business forward. These changes will take care of hygiene and improved service,” says Ashmeet, adding, “I did a hotel management course in Hyderabad then went to New Zealand to pursue culinary studies at NSIA. I then worked at a number of places to get hands on experience. During this time I had the opportunity to work at Baduzzi that was headed by Ben Bayly (celebrity chef who hosts My Kitchen Rules, New Zealand). As a chef, I want to bring in a few new dishes without disturbing the old menu. The old menu is still our king; it made us what we are.”
The facelift was all that was needed; they don’t need to work on marketing the new place. The restaurant now has an open tandoori kitchen, a couple of private dining rooms and Ashmeet is looking at upping the dessert game. “A lot of people ask for different desserts, so we have a separate pastry kitchen as well. Work is on to start a separate dessert menu,” he adds.
The 180-seater Sagar Papaji Ka Dhaba is done up in tones of yellow and brown to keep the ambience lively. “We are not discarding the ground floor. Once the first floor manages to do well, we will concentrate on working on the ground floor and a cellar parking,” adds Ashmeet.
(This column features Gen Next entrepreneurs who take their family business forward)
