The novel road to a start-up

If you have grown tired of the can-do attitude displayed by characters in Chetan Bhagat's books, read Boomtown, a debut novel by Aditya Mukherjee. It is the story of four young, budding entrepreneurs from different walks of life who come together to start a restaurant. Right at the outset, we learn that JJ, Roy, Sheetal and Jaaved are smart and resourceful. The author introduces the four characters one by one in the first few chapters before bringing them into each other's lives.

Jaaved, who is a chef at Khan Mian Khan restaurant in Chandni Chowk, which is run by his formidable grandfather, Afzal Khan, likes to experiment with old family recipes by adding extra ingredients on the sly to the food offered at the restaurant. Sheetal, a single mother and hotel manager, has an eye for detail. At a book launch party organised by the hotel, she loses no time offering the welcome committee staff a lipstick to make an impression. JJ, scion of a wealthy family who aspires to start a chain of restaurants, recognises Jaaved's culinary potential and decides to bring his college friend Roy and Sheetal on board. JJ expects Roy to "run around" for chores, and Sheetal is roped in for her experience in the hospitality industry.

Although this is a novel, the book also offers an in-depth analysis of the problems that start-ups face in India, especially in the service industry. JJ sets the ball rolling by getting his uncle James Jacob to put in seed money for the restaurant. Interestingly, the venture is anything but smooth from the word go. Whether it is getting a star chef to test Jaaved's recipes; making presentations, unsuccessfully, to snobbish venture capitalists; dealing with pushy property agents to lease land; or choosing furniture - everything involves a great deal of struggle. The author has used humour judiciously to ease mounting tension. So you have Roy, JJ and Jaaved figuring out how to organise a food review session at the restaurant of a five-star hotel. Or the incident in which the three men accompanied by Sheetal hop restaurants at a commercial complex to get a sense of pricing and leave abruptly at the time of ordering food. There are more such moments to tickle your funny bone.

The author also offers some valuable insights on brand strategy. With Sheetal's intervention, the team understands how Khan Mian Khan's experience should not be restricted to a five-star set-up, since it could escalate operating costs without bringing the much-desired footfalls. So they decide to target upper-middle class families.

As the story unfolds, we know that Roy and Jaaved have similar reasons to pursue this venture. The families of both men want them to follow a career road map. On the other hand, Sheetal is looking for greener pastures. Her mother, Saraiya, is the only parent in the novel who stands by her daughter's choices right from the start. As opposed to her, Afzal Khan considers quick-service restaurants, such as McDonald's, a slur on the old-world charm of his own restaurant's authentic Mughlai cuisine. So it's not surprising when he is outraged at the idea of his grandson being part of a restaurant chain.

The love story of Roy and Sheetal has been told simply without making a fuss over their age difference. The fate of their relationship has been left to the reader's imagination, though. Will the headstrong ambitious woman choose to be with a relatively unsuccessful man? We don't know.

Mr Mukherjee has made a decent debut, considering he had to juggle his second-year studies at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, with his first book. The problem lies in the way the book ends. After bringing an investor and the unyielding Afzal Khan on board, the story ends on a celebratory note. Remember the big plan is to go national with Khan Mian Khan's brand name? We don't get to know if the restaurant breaks even. There is no mention of how the team will scale up the restaurant business. In fact, this is the only glaring gap in the novel. After the initial struggle, it seems these people will have it easy in the future. The author could have spared a few lines on "how to build a national chain" to make things more realistic. In the final chapter, JJ visits his hometown to meet his father, who, like his friends' families, thinks his son cannot make it "big" by venturing into uncharted territory. So no grand climax there.

Besides all the hard work, perseverance and talent, the checklist for becoming an entrepreneur in India must include the art of using one's connections, understanding whom to bribe and how much and, most importantly, making the best of what one has. This is what Boomtown has to say to those who are toying with the idea of opening a restaurant in India.

BOOMTOWN
Aditya Mukherjee
Rupa Publications
303 pages; Rs 295