Birla company buys Hakkasan, Yauatcha restaurant firm

MUMBAI: Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality (ABNAH) has added restaurant brands Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Nara Thai and CinCin to its portfolio by acquiring 100% stake in KA Hospitality (KAH), which was founded by the late Kishor Bajaj. While CinCin is home-grown, KAH has franchise rights of the other three global restaurants brands.

The four brands are positioned across the customer value pyramid, spanning mid-market to premium segments.
Aryaman Vikram Birla, director, Aditya Birla Management Corporation and founder, ABNAH, said, “We continue to believe in the remarkable potential of the premium casual dining space, spurred by rising disposable income and evolving lifestyles of the Indian consumer. The intersection of growing affluence and the desire for new-age, high-quality dining experiences presents an incredible growth opportunity.” While Hakkasan is a Michelin-starred brand serving modern Cantonese food, Yauatcha is a dim sum teahouse from London. Nara Thai is a contemporary brand that serves authentic Thai cuisine and CinCin is an Italian brand.

Bajaj introduced Hakkasan and Yauatcha to Mumbai, with the foresight that India was ready for Michelin-grade dining. The company built on this vision under the leadership of Kishor Bajaj’s daughter Karyna, who took over as executive director in 2016, by bringing in Nara Thai and creating CinCin.
ABNAH, which operates the members-only club Jolie’s at Worli in Mumbai, builds premium casual dining restaurant chains across India.