pause… is a brand that feels less like a concept and more like a moment; unhurried, warm, and intentionally simple. Built around the idea of creating space for people to slow down, it reflects a growing shift in the way diners choose experiences today: not just for what’s on the plate, but for how a place makes them feel.
Excerpts from the interview with Rohit Dadlani, Co-founder, pause…
What prompted you to start pause…? What was the original vision and mission behind it?
pause… was born from an innate desire to create meaningful impact; joyfully and at scale, without compromising on commercial sustainability.
Food and community spaces naturally foster shared joy and memories, bringing people together in ways few other experiences can. At the same time, plant-based food represents a more future-forward choice — supporting better health for humans, reducing harm to animals, and lowering our collective impact on the planet.
The food & beverage industry felt like the right vehicle for this change. It is both a significant employment generator and a large, scalable business opportunity.
pause… exists at this intersection; where indulgent, high-quality plant-based food meets belonging, culture, and conscious living, delivered in a way that feels joyful, accessible, and genuinely human.
You moved from investment banking to hospitality, two very different worlds. What was the hardest mindset shift you had to make while building pause…?
The hardest mindset shift was moving from structure and specialisation to ambiguity and ownership.
In investment banking, you operate in a highly organised ecosystem; with relatively clear roles, shared accountability, and established processes. Hospitality and entrepreneurship, especially at an early stage, are almost the opposite. There is ambiguity aplenty, and you often have to build the system while operating within it.
The second shift was personal: moving from a role with prescribed responsibilities to a reality where almost everything ultimately becomes your problem; whether it’s strategic, operational, or emotional. Accountability rests squarely with you.
That said, I have been incredibly fortunate to build pause… alongside exceptionally capable co-founders and a phenomenal team. Their ownership, judgment, and commitment have made the journey deeply educational, rewarding, and genuinely fun.
In the early days, what were the most defining challenges you faced, and how did you find your way through them? What are the challenges you face today?
Challenges are inevitable in any journey; and even more so when you’re building something from scratch.
In the early days, the most defining challenge was the sheer lack of structure and the ambiguity that came with it. Decisions had to be made constantly, often without precedence, complete information, or a clear sense of what “right” looked like. You’re learning while doing; and sometimes learning after doing. That uncertainty can be unsettling.
What helped me navigate that phase was a strong support system. The unwavering belief and encouragement from my wife and family, an aligned and resilient founding team at pause…, and, over time, the trust and warmth of some truly amazing patrons. Together, they created the emotional ballast needed to keep going, especially on the harder days.
And we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have our Chief Wellness Officer, Poppy the cat, who wandered into pause… one fine day. She takes it upon herself to guard our collective mental wellbeing; a role she takes very seriously.
Today, the challenges have evolved. They’re less about survival and more about scale, living up to our patrons’ expectations, and staying true to our values as we grow. It’s about building systems without losing soul, expanding impact without diluting intent, and continuing to learn; just at a different altitude.
The ellipsis in pause…’s logo suggests continuation. What does that symbol personally mean to you as a founder?
The ellipsis in pause… is deeply intentional; it represents continuity, openness, and incompleteness by design.
From the very beginning, we envisioned pause… as a safe third space, one that adapts to the intent each person brings with them. For someone, it might be a quiet coffee and a moment of reflection. For someone else, it could be an evening of laughter with people they love. The experience isn’t prescribed; it’s personal.
In that sense, pause… is intentionally incomplete on its own. It’s not finished by the brand, the space, or even the food. It is completed by its community; its patrons, its team, and the moments they create within it.
Each person comes to pause… for a different reason, and each completes it in their own way. The ellipsis is a reminder that the story is always ongoing; shaped not by us alone, but by everyone who chooses to be a part of it.
pause… doesn’t loudly label itself as vegan or health-led. Why?
Because we believe that good food doesn’t need labels; it just needs to be good. We’ve learned that attaching too many labels upfront often creates preconceptions, mental blocks, and unintended prejudices. Words like “vegan” or “health-led,” while meaningful, can sometimes narrow an audience before they’ve even experienced the food. As a young brand, we wanted people to engage with pause… openly; to explore a high-quality, thoughtfully crafted menu without any filters or assumptions.
Ultimately, we’d rather let the product and the experience speak for themselves. If guests walk away feeling that the food is ingredient-forward, nourishing, or innovative, that conclusion is far more powerful when it’s discovered, not declared.
We’re intentionally allowing the market and our community to define our identity over time. When a brand is shaped by genuine experience rather than self-labelling, the connection it builds is more authentic; and far more enduring.
How has your understanding of your audience evolved over time?
My understanding of our audience has matured from focusing on what we serve to understanding how people feel when they’re with us.
Early on, I assumed food would be the primary hero. And while great food is essential, we’ve learned that what truly makes people fall in love with a café is the entire experience around it.
It’s the warmth and attentiveness of the team.
It’s the atmosphere; how safe, relaxed, and welcome the space feels.
It’s the small, often invisible details that make someone want to return, not just recommend us.
Over time, we’ve realised that patrons don’t just come to pause… to eat. They come to feel a certain way; comfortable, seen, unhurried, and at ease. When that emotional experience is consistent, the food becomes a powerful anchor rather than the sole reason for loyalty.
That shift in understanding has fundamentally shaped how we design our space, train our team, and build the brand.
Sustainable, ingredient-forward food often costs more to make. How do you balance commercial realities with staying true to your values?
It’s an unfortunate truth that quality often comes at a premium, and we face that reality on a daily basis. There are multiple ways to address that; the primary one is by being more judicious with our usage.
We are trying to eliminate wastage at every stage of our process. While there are definite commercial interests in doing so, there is just as much an imperative need to address food wastage from a sustainability perspective. That’s currently our dominant solution to this problem.
In the future, we expect growth to alleviate this concern; with scale comes the opportunity to secure better pricing and availability, and to invest more.
Your pandemic initiative feeding frontline workers reinforced the idea of food as community. How did that experience reshape the way you define hospitality today?
The pandemic reinforced something fundamental for us: food is never just food.
Its importance cannot be overstated; it nourishes the body, supports emotional wellbeing, anchors family life, and acts as a powerful force for community bonding. Feeding frontline workers during that time brought this truth into sharp focus. In moments of uncertainty, food becomes comfort, dignity, and reassurance; a reminder that someone cares.
That experience reshaped how we define hospitality at pause…. Hospitality, for us, goes beyond service or presentation. It’s about showing up for people, especially when it matters most, and using food as a medium for connection and care.
This belief became the bedrock of pause…: to promote sustainable eating in a way that feels joyful, inclusive, and memorable; not moralistic or distant, but deeply human.
When someone leaves pause…, what do you hope they carry with them; beyond the memory of a meal?
More than anything, I hope people leave pause… feeling that their time was well spent.
In today’s world, time is perhaps the single most valuable commodity we have. If someone walks out feeling calmer, lighter, or simply glad they chose to spend that hour with us, we’ve done our job.
And if that feeling translates into a genuine desire to return; if we begin to recognise familiar faces and shared rituals; that’s deeply rewarding. There’s no stronger validation than repeat guests. It’s the most honest testimony to the care, effort, and intention our team puts into the experience every single day.
Ultimately, beyond the memory of a meal, I hope pause… becomes a place people instinctively come back to, not out of habit, but because it feels right.
