Training is a Key Ingredient to Creating an Award Winning F&B brand, says Director of Concept Cuisines at India Palace

Culinary Experts, India Palace, Receive Best Service Performance Brand - Restaurant Category for the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme at the Business Excellence Awards 2015

13 May 2015, Dubai: Established in the UAE for over 22 years, award winning India Palace, will tell you that the recent surge in returning monthly clientele is testament tothe brand investing in its people and delivering both quality food and service. 

Over the last 18 months, service and talent training took precedence in the company’s agenda with the management recruiting in-house training managers and introducing a series of training programs. The company’s efforts paid off and received national recognition when H.H Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and President of the International Olympic Committee, honoured India Palace with the Best Service Performance Brand Award in the Restaurant Categoryfor the Dubai Service Excellence Scheme, at the recent Business Excellence Awards 2015.

Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director of Business Excellence Centre at DED, said: “The winners’ of the Business Excellence Award are shortlisted after a rigorous evaluation process which involves various stages such as independent assessments, mystery shopping, site visits, trainings and workshops. As a result businesses participating in the Award benefit by way of lessons learned, which will be a significant advantage in their pursuit of excellence.”
India Palace, a fine-dining restaurant chain, serves authentic Indian cuisines within an ambience reflecting the traditional splendour, reminiscent of the bygone Mughal Era. The restaurant chain,which is owned and operated by the Southern Franchise Group, has a loyal following amongst food lovers and long term UAE residents.  

“The SFC Group and the teams across India Palace would like to thank Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Business Excellent Department at the Department of Economic for honouring us with the prestigious Business Excellence Award,” said Rohith Muralya, Director,Concept Cuisines at India Palace. “Over the last year, we have seen an increase in regular clientele at our outlets and believe this is testament to our commitment to offering a dining experience that lingers long after the meal is over.”

Serving a cuisine inspired by the essence of Indian North West frontier traditions, India Palace understands the challenges of a competitive environment and sees 25 percent of their guests each month convert into regular clientele.  

“Over the past year, we have introduced several training modules at India Palace including experiential learning, on-the-job training, role-playing, interactive workshops including customer centricity workshops and service drills, among other modules,” said Mandeep Singh, Training Manager at India Palace. “Customers today have sophisticated appetites and often taste and judge service before food.”

Muralya further explained, “Many food and beverage brands lack structured learning systems. Developing human capital is a significant market challenge as employee training is seen as a significant expense rather than an investment. Initiatives such as the Business Excellence Scheme encourage and motivate companies to adopt a policy of excellence and provide the best of their services within a nation that focuses on quality,”