Born on 26th September, 1961 Kamlesh Jugaldas Barot, achieved a degree in Commerce faculty in 1981. He further got his merit card from Dadar Catering College in Food Service Management, acronym I.H.M.C.T.A.N.
From the early days of Ishwar Bhuvan, the South Indian eatery started by his uncle, Mr. Ishwarlal and his father, became the landmark in South Bombay, since 1950s and 60s, for it's fast food. He gained a brief retinue at the Linen store owned by the family known as Fair Price Fabrics Pvt. Ltd. With the coffers ringing in Bombay, the Barots sought larger investments elsewhere. By the year 1980 the historical city of Baroda was also rapidly growing in commercial importance and became a distinct possibility. With characteristic foresight, they acquired a running business on the main road of Dandia Bazar, Baroda, 'Hotel Rajdhani' a 22 room business hotel. Under his stewardship Hotel Rajdhani enjoyed 90% occupancy and it's restaurant aptly named 'Ishwar Bhuvan', has become famous all over Gujrat, for it's gujrati thali, till date.
During his tutelage in Baroda from 1984 to 1991 he became an active member of the Baroda Hotel Owners Association and carried out many activities that brought glory to both of them. Life membership with the Indian Music Group and referencing since 1972 from the Library of the British Council Division and the Microcomputer Users' Club kept him abreast of technology around. He is a member of the State level Course Committee for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Maharashtra State, Board of Technical Education, Mumbai.
Just as popular fashions dictate taste, so do food habits. And in 1989, the old Ishwar Bhuvan, Bombay, running into it's 42nd year, was ceremoniously redecorated and renamed 'Rajdhani restaurant'. By serving exquisite ethnic gujrati food for the first time in Bombay, Rajdhani restaurant became a popular lunchtime rendezvous for the shoppers and businessmen in the busy market area. The Barots had not only put Gujrati cuisine on the map, but in doing so had amply paid back a tribute to the land of their birth. What really turn a restaurant into a legend, is the quality of it's food and service. With it's latest refurbishment and introduction of regional cuisine, like the Rajasthani, Maharashtrian and the Kathiawadi Thali, served for the first time in Silver Thalis, Rajdhani has created a 'Niche' for it's trendy and authentic food with the connoisseurs of Indian food.
Encouraged with every enviable success, the Barots moved on to newer ventures. In 1991, they opened 'Revival' Bombay's most glamorous vegetarian restaurant & bar in the prestigious sandy expanse of Chowpatty, Bombay. The restaurant features 1920's architecture and interiors. It was in deciding how best to capture for posterity, the essence of an era, that came under the charming spell of 'Art Deco'. It began in France about the early twenties and lasted for two and a half decades - a period of complete rejuvenation in artistic post-war Europe. Picture Paris around this time, evolving as a major fashion center, the theatre, the talkies, the new schools of architecture, and the most exclusive dining, all contributing to a quality of life never experienced before.
The first floor houses the main restaurant with a hundred covers being spilled over at times into the 'Rainbow Room' above, when the 'Rainbow Room' is not hosting any parties. The 'Rainbow Room' accommodates 35 to 75 persons for a party and the rates hover around Rs. 300 per person. The terrace is an expanse of greenery christened as the 'Roof-talk Terrace Garden' overlooking the bay of Bombay with a fall back of the landscaped Malabar Hills. Many events like the Continental vegetarian Bar-be-cue festival, Italian Food Festival, were initiated first at Revival as an independent restaurant. Colloquial food-aids like the "Gastronomique Food Guide", computerized recipe cards, Star-sign birthday cards, Guest History Cards, Privilege Cards, were the first to be used in a restaurant by Kamlesh Barot. Innovative concepts like the Executive Lunch Box, Children's Hobby classes, Lazy Brunch, Anniversary Parties, Baisakhi Food Festival, Uttarayan Festival, Halloween Night, Valentine's Day specials, "Dressings" - the Salad and Cheese Bar are still the happening things at Revival.
The Young Restaurant Entrepreneur Award was given to Kamlesh Barot for Revival, Chowpatty by the Federation of Hotels & Restaurants Associations of India, from applications all over India. The award was presented on 30th September, 2004 by Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury, Hon. Union Minister for State for Tourism, in the presence of dignitaries from the Hotel Industry.
Barots not stopping at that started in 1998, the already famous Revival Hotel at Baroda, a 3 star modern business hotel, little did they know that they could already look back with immense pride on the past. This is a splendidly located, garden over-looking, 53 room, one suite hotel with other need based services like the open-air and air-conditioned banquet halls- Council and Chambers, multi-cuisine restaurant, Executive business centre, an executive floor, along with rooms for the disabled and non-smokers. Instant reservations for the hotel are available from Bombay, with rooms starting from a tariff of Rs.1100/- per room. With many firsts like direct fax/data/laptop/PC connectivity in all rooms and complimentary E-mail handling, pre-registration and internet facilities, serving delectable cuisine, the hotel goes in being Eco-aware and tourism promoting property. A lot of the festivals and food aids are in vogue at Revival Hotel, as the much publicized, "Kala Pathar" and the "Gabbar Da Dhabba". This hotel was awarded the Environment Champion for the year 1999-2000 among small hotels, by FHRAI in the runner-up category and Environment Champion for the year 2000-2001 among small hotels. Revival Hotel has also been accredited the ISO 9001:2000 by Jas-Anz of Australia and New Zealand. This certification was achieved after a strenuous documentation process of a year and a half. We are the first property in Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Gujarat of the western region of India to get the ISO 9001:2000 certification. We are moving on to have the next certification for ISO 14001.
In 1995, the Barots took over the catering of the Garware Club House at the Wankhede Stadium, Bombay for the Food & Beverage activity of the club at their Banquet halls, Restaurant and Permit room alongwith the 25 residential rooms, Card room, Billiard room and pool-side counter. All outlets of the club were revamped and brought up from the standard of an inefficient Canteen to a full-fledged Restaurant culture. The cuisine spreads from Non-vegetarian Indian to Chinese to South Indian to Chaats to Tandoori to fast food snacks and breakfast items. Festivals like the Rajasthani and Utrayan were conducted for the first time at the Garware Club now.
Stir Academy of Bartending at Revival started in 1999 with a partnership of Mrs. Shatbhi Basu. An academy of it's kind in India, teaches students the finer details of Flair Bartending, with audio-visual and computer aids, is a sought after school for not only bar personnel but also amateurs and Career appreciation enthusiasts
In May 2000, for the first time in Gujarat the Barots have franchised a silver thali restaurant "Aamantran" which serves five different cuisine of India namely, Rajasthani, Kathiawadi, Maharashtrian, Punjabi and South Indian. Achieving an overnight success of this virgin concept, as usual there shall be many emulators to come. Housing a 120 capacity Banquet Hall, this restaurant is located in the plush environs of Alkapuri in Baroda.
In March 2001, another first time we franchised outside India. "Revival, The Indian Restaurant", a 80 cover restaurant with bar attached, was started at Ly Thai To Street, near the famous Hon Klem Lake in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, with the "Mangharam's".
The Revival group was entrusted the job of overseeing a Symposium for the cloth merchants of S&Y - Kohinoor Mills in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from the 30th January 2002 to 3rd February 2002. Our group interacted with foreign chefs and produced Indian food under stringent alien conditions.
We have franchised our Accommodation operations to a boutique hotel in Lonavala, called "The Swiss Resorts", which is re-furbished and is operational with the new look from June 2003. Frequented by celebrities it is the talk-of-the-town for it's "Revival-touch-food".
We are opening a unique restaurant at Lokhandwala, Andheri "IndiaIndia"- a franchise from our Rajdhani - The Thali Place - outlet at Crawford Market. It is an 8000 sq. ft. plush modern designed restaurant with alfresco dining and food merchandising, specializing in authentic Indian food, and serving the fashioned bar-menu from our very own Stir Academy of Bartending at Revival. We are opening this fine dining, silver service restaurant with varied cuisine of India ranging from the West to the East and North to the South. There is an evolvement happening in terms of a Chai Déli serving traditional Indian as well as imported teas. The food shall have a special touch of Ayurveda in the main restaurant as well as the Chai Déli. We shall have an in-house 4000 sq. ft banquet facility with the state-of-art Bollywood niche requirements on projections and parties. We are scheduled to open up by February 2004. This project is a tie-up with an USA & Singapore based NRI firm and us, keeping in view replicating this showcase in both these countries by the year-end.
In September 2003 the Barots signed a consultancy for a new hospitality venture with "India Quay", a Indian food non-vegetarian restaurant at Circular Quay, over-looking the harbour of the famous Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Plans are underway to open up more outlets serving the Rajdhani Indian food in more locations of Sydney with a franchise arrangement with Mr. Paresh Pandya, Director, Concept Health Australasia.
Inrobit Mall, at Malad Link road, Bombay, one of the largest malls in Asia, constructed and operated by the K. Raheja group, had approached the Barots for opening a specialty restaurant in the Mall. Franchised with Maheshwaris, it is co-located in this 25000-foot-fall plush Mall amidst the Pizza Hut, Mcdonalds, Ruby Tuesday, Mars and Blue Foods. An 80 cover, modern designed vegetarian eatery serving regional Indian food, all day long was the first restaurant to open in this up-market Mall. From day-one this restaurant has serpentine queues outside the entrance door, before the restaurant starts operating. Week-ends register an un-precedent waiting patronage
Barot's have franchised their Rajdhani in Nashik with the Shanbaug's at the Dwarka Hotel, as an outlet in their property. A 70 cover thali restaurant is adjacent to a 120 cover South Indian restaurant, which complements each other in this industrious and pilgrimage town of Maharashtra
With the success of Swiss Resorts Lonavala, the Pherwani's of Whispering Woods have approached the Barots to franchise their management operations for their colloquial Go-carting resort. This resort has six food outlets and 13 rooms to cater to.
Nirmal Lifestyles, at LBS Marg, the most stylized Mall in the Queen of Suburbs, Mulund has Rajdhani, a 95 cover, blend of traditional and contemporary design serving regional Indian food. A take-away counter allows the visiting gentry to savour the unique snacks, Aamras, Undhiya kind of USP dishes of this food outlet. Guest comments like, "Thank you for gracing us in the suburbs with our favourite Rajdhani food" says it all.
Within the precincts of the Nirmal Lifestyles Mall, again a first-time concept of interactive cooking by restaurant guests is promoted. With a state-of-the-art flair Lounge Bar and modern kitchen, this restaurant has a unique ambience for it's suburban patrons. Silver service with style has prompted this new concept of Fine Dine under the banner of the Barots.
Kamlesh Barot has been an elected Managing Committee member of the Hotel & Restaurant Association (Western India) since 1995, representing the Restaurant industry for the four states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and M.P.
Nominated as the Chairman of Office Matters Sub-Committee and Gujarat State Co-ordination, he has brought about an organization of a modern office Secretariat for the Association. The office has been formally trained with the latest automation. The credit of having a showcase web site and an electronically linked office goes to his committee. Co-chairing the committee on Seminars, H.R.D. and a member on a few other committees, he persistently makes the Association a torchbearer amongst other such bodies, with the entire team. Through the H.R.D., committee a constant rapport with the Catering Colleges is kept by interviewing the entrants to the college on a yearly basis.
An international tie-up with Worldres is underway for the member hotels on a room-booking system on the web and at the Airport Counter. He is nominated on the Information Technology Committee of the FICCI thorough the Association.
He has been writing articles on the newsletter of the Association and so also for the parent FHRAI and the Hotelier & Caterer - India's Hospitality Business Weekly from Indian Express. He has been a visiting faculty for many catering colleges in his region. He has been a speaker for Symposiums, Seminars, and Conventions relating to the Hotel and Restaurant Industry. He has been a judge for many competitions held by various catering colleges and Tourism Institutes.
He is instrumental in drafting the Draft Tourism Policy for Gujarat- 2000-2005. He has chaired a successful regional Convention in Daman in 1999 and had an active participation in the National Convention 1996 in Pune and Heads the Accommodation sub-committee of the National Convention 2000 in Bombay. He has been on the committee for "Joint Tourism Promotion Council" for the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, MP, Chattisgarh, Daman & Diu. He is on the Core Group setup for interaction with the Catering Colleges and the Hotel Industry. He is instrumental in producing the Knowledge Galleries CDs for the Hotel Industry since 2002. He is on the State level Course Committee for Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Maharashtra State, Board of Technical Education, Mumbai. He was awarded the "Young Restaurant Entrepreneur of the Year 2004" for India by the FHRAI, at the hands of the Honorary Union Minister of State for Tourism, Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury.