What Parenthood Brings to Hospitality

Masque restaurant's eighth anniversary celebrations in Mumbai, the service team had a new member helping out. Eight-year-old Aaryaveer Dugar, the youngest of owners Aditi and Aditya Dugar's three children, was assisting a Masque chef in preparing jamun cheesecake kakigoris (Japanese shaved ice dessert) and doing a great job of convincing guests to try them out.

- Smitha Menon

It's safe to say that Aaryaveer's station did brisk business that evening.

Later, when I asked Aditi if her youngest had any dreams of joining the industry, she said, "It's not like I'm looking to raise future restaurateurs, but I do believe it's nice for the kids to be in rooms where they learn how a business is run and the kind of hard work that goes in every day."

With Mother's Day and Father's Day behind us, it seems like a good time to examine how parenthood is influencing India's food and beverage scene. At the very core, parenthood and hospitality are both demanding, high-stakes scenarios, and their paths often intersect, particularly during holidays when the pressures in both realms tend to intensify. Balancing a personal and professional life with children is challenging, regardless of the chosen career path. But, how are India's young chefs and restaurateurs dealing with this challenge?

"One of the things I often get asked as a mum and entrepreneur is how I balance it all," said Akhila Srinivas, founder of Bengaluru's Conservatory, which houses several F&B establishments such as Naru and Wine in Progress, in a previous conversation. "The simple answer is that there is no such thing as balance. It's a matter of prioritization, at that moment. That's true in business and life."