‘You have to reinvent the wheel all the time'

F&B entrepreneur Priyank Sukhija, who owns premier hangouts like Lord Of The Drinks, Tamasha and JLWA, talks about what it takes to survive in the industry for 20 years

- Kathakali Chanda

Priyank Sukhija was born into a family of lawyers and, if not for his dyslexia, would have probably ended up as one. “Being a lawyer with a reading disability would have been a terrible idea,” says the 39-year-old, who invested in a bowling alley in 1997 instead. But it was canned even before its opening as the government banned operations out of basements following the fire tragedy at the Uphaar cinema hall in Delhi.

At 19, with capital from his father, he set up a restaurant (Lazeez Affaire in New Delhi’s Malcha Marg) to foster his entrepreneurial zeal. Twenty years on, Lazeez Affaire is thriving in an industry that sees fast churn, and Sukhija’s portfolio at the 234-crore First Fiddle Pvt Ltd has expanded to 11 brands (including Lord of the Drinks, Tamasha and Plum By Bent Chair) with 30 outlets across four cities.

Among the most prolific restaurateurs in the country, Sukhija talks to Forbes India about his expansion plans and takeaways from spending two decades in the industry. Edited excerpts:

Q How have you seen the F&B industry change over 20 years?