FOOD FOR THOUGHT: KAZEM SAMANDARI

Co-Founder and CEO Kazem Samandari, a Ph.D. in Industrial Economy, MS in Electrical Engineering and a Business Degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland has four decades of varied experience, and since 2008 has been working towards building his leading business in an ever-changing industry. Kazem is a co-founder of L’Opéra and has served as its Chairman since its inception in 2008. Kazem has been professionally exposed to diverse cultures and traditions across the planet. He shares his views on retail with S&A…

- Kazem Samandari

Let’s start with what everyone wants to know. How has business been in the past quarter?

Improving. We went from total shutdown of all activities to limited (both product wise and geographically) home delivery to extended home delivery, to reopening few outlets for takeaway only, to takeaway and limited dine-in and finally to where we are today which, except the limitation of seating due to required social distancing, is pretty much “normal” operations. However, there is no doubt that the customers are still hesitant to venture out of their homes as they did during the pre-COVID time and we feel the financial consequences of the same.

Coming out of the lockdown, what factors in your opinion will separate the men from the boys, so to speak, in the café industry?

Strength of the brand, trust of the customers and patrons, capacity and ability to be flexible, to change, to adapt, to innovate and to overcome the chasm financially.

What are cafés doing wrong in the country today? What are they doing right?

I am afraid, I am not aware of all what is happening in the café industry, however, it would be wrong to think that one can go back to what was before, to pay high rents and to expect the footfall to recover rapidly. Developing the online business, renegotiating the rentals, implementing high standards of hygiene and food safety, using technology to reduce contact points and finally engaging the customers and innovating are certainly the right things to do.