Shivani Vardhan’s journey from a reserved home-maker to a successful hotelier is quite awe-inspiring. Ms Vardhan, a strong votary of women in business, set foot in the entrepreneurial world during the terrible times of COVID-19. Brushing aside all suggestions against starting a venture in the pandemic, she opened her first restaurant, KLAP, in Khan Market, New Delhi. Years later, Ms Vardhan launched another restaurant, Tranzit Khan Market. She also diversified into artisanal sweets with AAJUNI, a handcrafted mithai (traditional sweets) brand, crafted with premium techniques. Ms Vardhan shares her journey as a restaurateur and other interesting details about her personal life in a lively chat with Sharmila Chand.

Your journey so far and lessons learnt
It has been rough and difficult. With experience, the right systems, and righteous practices, success is inevitable.

Your philosophy of work
Keep things straightforward. Speak the truth, and stand by it. Address issues immediately rather than postponing them. Work with absolute integrity, commitment and passion.

How do you define yourself?
I was a homemaker for most of my life until I started KLAP. I was very timid, but work and dealing with people have made me strong and tough.

Your strengths and expertise
Apart from food and beverages (F&B), which our chef partner looks after, my strength lies in managing the overall finances of the business. Over the years, I have gained tremendous experience in restaurant operations.

How do you see women entrepreneurship growing in India, especially in the food business?
Hospitality is in the Indian woman’s blood. Indian women are hands on from ensuring family members are well fed to looking after guests at home. Today, you see them wearing professional hats as chefs in five-star hotels.

When did you first think of entering the food business?
I thought of entering the food business at the worst time that the hospitality industry was facing in a century. I went ahead with my first venture, KLAP at Khan Market, New Delhi, during the first round of the pandemic. I believed that nothing is permanent and that the pandemic would end sooner than later. People would flock to new places again, and that was the opportunity
I wanted to capitalise on. That is exactly what happened.

How are you meeting the needs of evolving customers?
Today’s diners are extremely well travelled and knowledgeable. We strive to offer the most authentic flavours across cuisines, complemented by innovative and distinctive cocktails to deliver an unparallelled experience.

What tips would you give to women aspiring to do well in this industry?
One does not need big capital to start a food business. There is no age bar to entrepreneurship. Women at any age can begin, and the sky in the F&B business is limitless.

Chand.sharmila@gmail.com