Along with the family, who was also living in India and supported his nascent and ambitious project, an in-depth market study of the high-end Food and Beverage segment in Delhi was undertaken. With the assistance of the French Embassy in Delhi, who kindly provided their purpose-built kitchen for testing, and the encouragement of the family’s Delhiite friends and expats to go further, the project grew legs. Together, the Samandaris and Nicolliers are building the “family business” into a popular patisserie brand which in a little over three years has grown to nine outlets in the Delhi-NCR region. L’Opéra is known for its macaroons, French bread and choux pastry, and kneads in monthly sales of Rs 1-crore a month (approximate average). This is no small task considering its high price points, and the high mortality of restaurants in Delhi’s competitive F&B space which is plagued with prohibitive real estate costs and labyrinthine license requirements.
Kazem Samandari has a Ph.D. in Industrial Economy, an MS in Electrical Engineering and a Business Degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. Kazem Samandari has over 40 years of professional and entrepreneurial experience and has worked in over 60 countries on all Continents. He has held executive positions in several high-tech companies including GMC Digital Printing Systems, Scitex Digital Printing, Inc., Kodak Versamark Inc. and Given Imaging Ltd. and is the President of KCSH & Associates, Singapore. Kazem is a co-founder of L’Opéra and has served as its Chairman since its inception in 2008. Throughout the years, Kazem has been professionally exposed to various cultures and traditions across the planet. He is married to Christine and has two children, Caroline and Laurent.
Team Salt and Sandals invited Dr.Kazem Samandari in an exclusive interview to get insights from his personal and professional life and to know more about this beautiful journey.
Amogh Tiwari (AT) : In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to attract consumers in??
Kazem Samandari (KS) : I believe that consumers recognise quality and if you serve them with the best quality then you are obviously turning your customers into your faithful customers.
AT : What are 3 tips for running a successful restaurant?
KS : 1. Being Passionate,
2. Prepare your business plan and activities really well.
3. Perseverance
AT : If you were to open a new restaurant, where would you want it to be located?
KS : I would choose a peaceful and beautiful environment with less traffic like Malcha marg, Lodi Colony.
AT : What inspired you to become a restaurateur?
KS : My Daughter and her family moved to India 10 yrs ago due to some professional commitments and they were home sick. Meanwhile Laurent was also pursuing his internship in Delhi and found that there was a dearth of authentic french desserts in our city. So after 1.5 yrs business plan we opened authentic french bakery “L’opera”
AT : What will be your ideal meal?
KS : I have being travelling a lot due to my profession and have visited more than 60+ countries. Every culture, every country has something to offer, still I have a special space for Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisine.
AT : Which chef’s food would you go back for tasting again and again?
KS : Manish Mehrotra, Indian Accent
AT : Mention one project which is very close to your heart
KS : L’opera. I believe eating is a personal experience and is very rewarding. The love and relationships you develop in this industry is difficult to develop in any other profession.
AT : Do you pursue food reviews and review sites such as Zomato ?
KS : Food critics need to be more qualified and have certain experience. The best policy to tackle them all is by being modest.
