Karan Nohria is a young man in a tearing hurry. He speaks rapidly without pausing for breath. He makes snap decisions. He thinks on his feet. And he is willing to take risks to realise his passion.
But then again, this comes with the territory for the sportsperson-turned-entrepreneur. When pursuing his 12th at Poddar International School, he would practice for athletics for almost four to five hours, attend a couple of lectures and then party hard with his friends. “I would check out the latest nightclubs and bars and would keep thinking of how I would do things differently if I owned the property,” he said. “I always felt that Mumbai lacked a place, which exuded a relaxed vibe and gave people the feeling of being part of a community.”
Soon, he realised that academics were not his forte, and he dropped out of college when he was 16 years old. This move raised several eyebrows amongst this family and friends. Unfazed by this and unsure what he wanted to do next, Nohria started assisting his parents in their logistics business.
BITING THE BULLET
However, he soon realised he was not cut out for a corporate world of number crunching. “Since I spent a huge time of my evenings at restaurants and nightspots, I had my heart set on starting a resto-bar. I somehow convinced my parents to give me the go-ahead to start my venture with a caveat – if I failed, I would complete my studies and manage the family business,” Nohria recalled. This condition only strengthened his resolve to succeed in his venture.
His parents, however, suggested that he understand the workings of the sector to the T before he launched his business so that he knew what he was getting into with his eyes wide open. Taking this advice to heart, Nohria started working with Chrome Hospitality, which another youngster, Pawan Shahri, helmed. He was the man behind popular outlets like Butterfly High, London Taxi and Blah! Now.
“This stint was an eye-opener. Till then, I was unaware of the difference between, and importance of, a runner and a server. I was also clueless about the nuances of negotiating terms and prices with vendors. I realised I had a lot to learn,” he admitted.
By his admission, Nohria claimed that he quickly picked up the major facets of the business. He then returned to his parents with a complete business plan to set up Silly in Mumbai’s Khar district, who gave him the funds to bootstrap his dream project.
THE BUSINESS OF SILLY
The biggest challenge in launching Silly was selecting the location. The spot that caught Nohria’s eye was where Hoppipola stood. He had a tough time convincing the property’s owner that he did not intend to replicate another nightclub like Socials, which was bang opposite, or rebuild something on the lines of Hoppipola and yet build a landmark establishment. His tenacity paid off, and he got this space he sought.
Nohria then mapped out how to invest Silly’s INR 6.5 crore funds to create a heart-warming space spread across 4700 square feet. His aim was simple – he wanted the space to be an all-day cafe that transformed into a chic bar in the evenings without losing the sense of community culture. “Silly is a place where people can be themselves – whatever they want to be and whoever they want to be silly with,” he laughed.
He then roped in Chrome Hospitality to manage Silly for the first few months since they knew the restaurant business inside out. He worked with their team to finalise its design and menu offerings.
The entrance to Silly is built around a 65-year old mango tree with a white and grey gravel pathway that leads guests to the outdoor garden setting. The concrete-styled walls in the indoor area are interposed with lush greens to emanate smart-casual elegance. A cloistered nook with swings, long community workstations, a book cabinet that opens into the restroom and a men’s urinal that is a bathtub, there are enough conversation starters and Instagram opportunities – resonating with the people crowding this resto-bar.
BEST LAID PLANS
Nohria introduced Silly in March 2021, and within a couple of weeks, the nationwide lockdown was announced. Nursing this pandemic baby was challenging because there was no playbook on managing operations when a pandemic strikes. Nohria decided to focus on things that mattered – ensuring the staff’s safety and creating signature cocktails, which were inspired by local flavours like the Curry Mary, a whisky drink with fresh curry leaves and spices. “We sell over 100 units of each cocktail every month now,” he excitedly exclaimed.
With the easing of the restrictions, Nohria focused on getting more customer footfalls through innovative marketing that primarily relied on word-of-mouth publicity. For instance, his team flipped the Secret Santa concept last Christmas. Guests could select from five options, like learning to cook a particular dish, whip up a cocktail, getting a free drink, a book from the Silly library, etc. The team received over 15000 requests which they plan to fulfil by March 2022.
It departed from soppy mush-filled promotions for Valentine’s Day and instead decided to celebrate self-love. Guests could pen their dissatisfaction and disenchantment on a paper placed on each table and shred these in a centrally placed shredder. This sure beats listening to Bryan Adams and George Michael songs on repeat with red heart-shaped balloon festooning the place!
These initiatives have helped Nohria recover over 45% of his initial investment, and he hopes to break even within eight months. He has plans to take the brand to Delhi at the end of this year and later to Hyderabad.
Armed with boyish confidence, this 22-year old is confident he will replicate Silly’s success in other parts of the country. Quiz him about this confidence, and he says he understands what the youth need, and he has no real qualms about taking risks. As a motivated athlete turned entrepreneur, Nohria only wants to keep up with himself and his aspirations and have fun while at it.
