Trade and Drink at once in The Bar Stock Exchange
Mihir Desai felt the entrepreneurial streak ever since his graduation from National College and jumped headlong into the hospitality industry after completing a bar tending course from London Bar School. He has, since then, run over 11 restaurants till date and developed a deep insight into restaurants and their trends. Now on the brink of expanding all his current restaurant offerings, he is looking forward to experimenting with newer restaurant types and offerings. After his first stint at co-owner of Monza (Mediterranean), Aziano (Pub) and Lemon Grass Phoenix (South East Asian), Mihir wanted to create an Indian restaurant that could serve great food with a casual yet up market feel – which led to the launch of Masala Zone Bandra and Dadar. The dire need to introduce the city to an open air pub and dining experience led to conceptualization and launch of Big Bang Bar and Café – Bandra’s largest Al Fresco roof top bar. His latest offering is the uber popular ‘The Bar Stock Exchange’ which will expand from Mumbai to Pune, Bangalore and Delhi respectively. Mihir’s passion for perfection and keen eye for detail are something that his staff cannot stop raving about, and his willingness to train and share knowledge about his business is his most endearing quality by far.
Languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Spanish
Hobbies: Loves Cricket
Who is your inspiration?
My inspiration is my father, from whom we I have learned all the business etiquette. He is a man of his word and has always taught me to provide value above all else.
What are mistakes you have done in your life and what have he learnt from those?
Business is all about learning and application. Around 6 years ago, we had opened a restaurant serving Lucknowi cuisine called Kebabish. Our food and pricing strategy was amiss, as our food offering was much too heavy and our pricing much too high. This was one the key mistakes I learned from and has helped me understand how to run my business better.
Why The Bar Stock Exchange? Tell us something about TBSE, its speciality.
The idea first germinated on my visit to New York last year. I came across a brewery trading in beer like a stock exchange trades in stocks, and I was fascinated by the innovation of the concept. It was there and then, that I planned to open one in Mumbai with more categories of spirits, beers and wines. It was also, to a certain extent, the company’s very strong intention. We’ve been in the bar business for over a decade now, and our desire to try something out of the box led to planning such a concept in India – which we are sure will be a phenomenon to behold not only in Mumbai, but in all the other cities that we plan to expand to!
Conceptualized on the lines of our infamous stock exchanges, The Bar Stock Exchange (TBSE) is India’s first stock market based pub chain where the drink prices change based on real time demand and supply. With the most high-tech technology monitoring this demand supply algorithm, TBSE presents an experience similar to trading in the stock market – where you can monitor the price of your favourite stock (aka drink) and trade real time. Customers can trade live at the venue or via an Andriod / iOS app that relays a live feed of the current price, the high and the low of that day.Also in keeping with the concept, we have designed the entire bar to simulate a real stock exchange, with proprietary software and trading servers designed exclusively for us. The pub is also lined with LCD screens, LED tickers and the legendary stock market ‘gong,’ all of which add to the ‘traders’ charm to this fun concept.
Names and ages: Mihir Desai, 32 years and Amit Singh, 29 years– Partners
Name of hospitality company: Corum
Year of start up: 2004
The Big Bang Bar and Cafe, Masala Zone and The Bar Stock Exchange
The Big Bang Bar and Cafe: The Big Bang Bar and Café is Bandra’s hippest new hangout for those who love a good time. Spanning across 5000 sq ft, this open air Al Fresco Restro-bar (from the owners of Masala Zone, Lemon Grass Phoenix and Monza) is a breath of fresh air for all those who love their space and who enjoy having a good time. The newest offering from the owners of Masala Zone, Lemon Grass Phoenix-Mills and Monza, The Big Bang Bar is a rare sight in the ever crowded, hustling bustling suburb of Bandra – with a huge inimitable space, a great groovy chilled out vibe, and lip smacking cocktails & mocktails that will take away your stress and make sure you enjoy, Big Time! On offer are the choicest collection of quick bites, salads, pastas, pizzas, finger food, sandwiches and burgers amidst the most exhaustive collection of drinks, cocktails and mocktails in the city.
Masala Zone: Two outlets old at Bandra and Dadar, Masala Zone is an Indian favourite for many guests who swear by the ‘lazzatdaarkhana ’ and the value for money proposition the restaurant is most known for.
The Bar Stock Exchange: India’s first stock exchange based pub chain, ‘Corum’ will open three outlets of the TBSE at Andheri West and Andheri East (6000 sq. Ft each), followed by a whopping 9000 sq.ft space in the heart of BandraKurla Complex (BKC). The BKC outlet will also be swanked by a private 30 seater state-of-the-art mini theatre for private screenings, movie launches and live match showcases.
Conceptualized on the lines of our infamous stock exchanges, TBSE will trade in alcohol whilst making sure you have a great exchange (of conversation, of course!). Starting with all prices (30 ml / 60 ml / full bottle) at a pre decided base price, prices of your favourite drink rise in direct proportion to its consumption over a period of time at the bar.
The Owners: After their first stint together as partners in Monza (Mediterranean), then Aziano (Pub) and Lemon Grass Phoenix (South East Asian), Amit and Mihir formed the company ‘Corum’ that has, in less than a decade, created three successful and popular brands spanning over 6 locations in Mumbai.
Amit Singh entered the hospitality industry soon after finishing his graduation from Mumbai University. Always interested in knowing and evaluating how businesses work, Amit has handled the finance, administration, controls and human resource departments at various companies such as Almanac Hotels Pvt. Ltd, Dolce Vita, BJN Group, Liquids India etc. His passion for perfection and keen eye for detail are responsible for the smooth day to day operations of the company.
Mihir Desai felt the entrepreneurial streak ever since his graduation from National College and jumped headlong into the hospitality industry after completing a bar tending course from London. He has, since then, run over 7 restaurants till date and developed a deep insight into restaurants and their trends. Now on the brink of expanding all his current restaurant offerings, he is looking forward to experimenting with newer restaurant types and offerings.
