In our conversations with food entrepreneurs, one common word we have come across is “experience”. Devouring good food is not only about the flavors or the ingredients but also about getting that right experience. This fact is no secret in the land of foodies. Our first venture in our “Technology” section aims to do just that-give you the dining experience you deserve.
Meet WowTables.com
WowTables.com helps you “book exclusive fine dining experiences at the best restaurants”.”WowTables is a table reservations platform which curates exclusive dining experiences for guests by associating with quality restaurants across Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. Some of the restaurant partners include Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Le Pain Quotidien, The Tasting Room, Shiro among others and the experiences offered range from chef’s tables and off-menu set meals to masterclasses and mixology classes.”
WowTables which was launched in late 2012 in Mumbai under the name ‘GourmetItUp’, is the first table reservation portal to offer curated dining experiences in India. Post a successful year in Mumbai, WowTables expanded business and entered two new cities – Pune and New Delhi in 2013 and 2014 respectively and was recently launched in Bangalore.”
Founders Deepa Jain and Kunal Jain bring to this table, their entrepreneurial expertise and their passion for good food. Deepa Jain is a food connoisseur and founder of “RecipeMobile”, a mobile app that supplied gourmet food items to restaurants and directly to customers. She brings in depth understanding of the restaurant business as well as an extensive network amongst top restaurants, food celebrities & journalists.
Founders WowTables
Kunal Jain, founder and Managing Director at WowTables is an entrepreneur and digital marketer with about ten years of experience. He is an expert in building and marketing consumer websites and was the co-founder at Indianhanger.com, a prominent apparel and accessories e-commerce website, representing top Indian fashion designers and was selling to a global audience.
Their love for a good dining experience lead them to the idea of WowTables. “We love going out to eat at new restaurants and trying out new dishes but didn’t get to experiment as much as we would want to because of the risk of a going to a bad restaurant or ordering a bad dish. After speaking about this with other diners we realized that this conundrum was a universal one. Dining out is getting expensive by the day. We realized that there wasn’t a single source that could provide guidance on where and what to eat. The aim was to fill this void.”
“We conceptualized WowTables to allow diners to get access to menus with researched & curated dishes to bring out a restaurants best. We introduced individual and tasting portions, so that there was no compromise and special pricing (with a minimum guarantee for restaurants to ensure great service). After speaking to restaurants, they realized that this model would solve a lot of the marketing and table utilization issues plaguing the restaurant industry and so we launched the business in late 2012.”
WowTables values experiences that are based on good quality. “Since our business was about table reservations and curated dining experiences, it was imperative that we partner with quality restaurants.” This was also one of their biggest challenges, they explain “Restaurants, just like any other brands are conscious about their brand presence and their partners. Convincing them to partner with us was our biggest challenge. We had to convince them that associating with us would result in brand upliftment rather than brand devaluation.”
WowTables today has more than 200 restaurant partners across four cities. In their own words they are “looking forward to evolve further.” They share the positive responses they have gotten from restaurants and customers. “Looking back from where we started, we know we’ve grown and so have our restaurant partners. We had made several changes initially in our core model to make the platform more accessible and attractive to our audiences and restaurants. Restaurants are now approaching us and expressing interest in partnering with us. On the consumer front, we are growing on a week-on-week basis and have benefited greatly through increased word-of-mouth testimonials.”
If WowTables is not operational in the city you reside in, don’t worry, it’s only a matter of time. “We are planning to expand into international markets by the end of the year while also entering other Indian cities. We will also be launching our mobile app soon.”
Based on their experiences their one line advice to future entrepreneurs is “Find a niche in the industry and excel in that space.”
WowTables is an online portal that helps you book exclusive fine dining experiences at the best restaurants. They are currently operational in restaurants across Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Pune.
Visit their website and their Facebook page for more information.