A Platter-to-plate got him Bowled !!

A classic English service “platter-to-plate” more often described for a sharable “entrée” was the eureka moment for founder Aalap Shah for Lollo Rosso, a well-balanced, soulful, healthy and Personal bowl meal concept. Since its inception from 2017, Lollo Rosso has been a trendsetter restaurant. Inspired by his travels to various countries & a diverse of palates along with textures of platters inspired him to create this unique amalgamation of different preparations into one bowl, that is hassle free and just sufficient for one person. 

Founder Aalap Shah and his chef partner Tarak Das’s venture has come a long way from 12 seater place to five restaurants in three cities.

Building a Unique Food Culture

As rightly said by Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight 2023) that “Life before Death, Strength before Weakness and Journey before Destination”, Aalap shah started his journey from hotel school in Bangalore. However the practical and real life learning came from the tenure during his Masters in Hospitality management in the US. Various Part time jobs in different fields, such as night auditor of a hotel, pharmacist tech of a pharmacy, supervisor of five star hotel department, restaurant manager of a chain restaurant got him the real experiences of working in completely different fields and directly with entrepreneurs or business owners. Being a foodie, he also kept on exploring different cuisines, restaurants and road side joints in US. After coming back to India, he found his forte and discovered that designing food menu is something that he hones very well. But again it was not enough for him and few years of menu design job Aalap quit his job in 2017 with no clear plans in mind but a determination to do something that he was passionate about. After few months in dilemma one fine day a traditional gujarati platter intrigued him. “I always used to wonder how all traditional platters are well designed with varied flavors and textures. Hence I decided to come up with a more refined version that suits regional and international cuisines in a bowl meal format. Idea was simple. Different textures, complimenting flavours, easy to choose, hassle free eating and well balanced meal concept, where one doesn’t need to share food and can order just the right amount so that it doesn’t go waste yet experience different palates of different meal courses in a single meal”, Says Aalap Shah. 

The process & it’s journey

Journey and process always excited him. Unaware of the food business numbers, Aalap Shah started counting footfall outside famous restaurants to understand potential of his business. Numbers were really motivating enough to take the plunge. Hence after facing multiple rejections and sleepless nights, he finally got his hands on a cute little place near mansi cross roads, which ofcoursewasn’t his ideal choice, but when the passion is right we know that any plunge is a good plunge. Also, the thought process that he shared with us, was something that we were intrigued by. He said that what motivated him was the sheer

thought of only having to please 30 people in a day, hence the location was not too much of a blocking factor for him.

To execute his thought process and clarity of the menu he also found a perfect chef partner who was not only an acquittance to him but also been admired for his work, Tarak Das.

Finally Lollo Rosso was launched in September 2017 with just five bowls. Today, their menu boasts 15+ different cuisine bowls, fast and elegant foods like sushi and dimsums. Their concept of bowl meals works on the simplicity and convenience. Whether you’re on a flight, in the office or watching Netflix, Lollo Rosso is for one and all.

The Naming Philosophy of Lollo Rosso 

While naming the brand, Aalap Shah got intrigued by the name ‘Lollo Rosso, which meant Red Lettuce and found it to be easy to say while being super catchy. It was a different name altogether, pertaining no product boundaries. Today Lollo Rosso sells bowl meals tomorrow it may sell airplanes too, who knows !! Jokingly said Aalap Shah.

The Biggest Challenges

Challenges are the measurement of success. It is a business where you are only as good as your customer’s last experience. In AalapShah’s opinion, ‘One bad review spoils his day and a good one, makes his day.’ Thereby he believes that his cheerleaders are truly is his customers.  Negative feedback makes you want to correct yourself and find the root cause, while positive one always motivates to keep up the same or exceed expectations. Hence both are blessings. However another bigger challenge is to manage your internal customers. i.e. Employees !! They buy your vision and keep faith on you. We empower and motivate them to get the best out of them, says Aalap shah.

Innovating for Growth

Further on, Aalap believes in constantly innovating to retain customers. One of Lollo Rosso’s most popular initiatives has been the “Bowl of the Month.” It has consistently drew patrons eager to try new creative offerings that they bring to the table. There is an unspoken holy grail in the city that if its launched by Lollo Rosso then something creative and thoughtful would be the theme of the bowl, along with new flavour profile and unique cuisine, Though it’s challenging to maintain across multiple outlets now, howeverAalap remains committed to offering new and exciting dishes to keep customers engaged.

Lollo Rosso is looking to expand with additional outlets in Ahmedabad and beyond, featuring a larger all-day dining concept for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Aalap notes that the brand will embrace a diverse culinary approach, enabling them to adapt to various tastes as they evolve.

Learnings from Aalap Shah

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Aalap’s advice is straightforward: “Be fearful.” This fear keeps him alert and drives his commitment to maintaining quality and consistency. He also highlights the importance of honesty and adaptability. From the start, Lollo Rosso has been transparent about its ingredients, as Aalap believes that honesty fosters a genuine connection with customers. Aalap Shah started with a modest goal, to get around 50-60 people in Ahmedabad to experience the bowl meal from Lollo Rosso. This initial effort laid the foundation for the brand’s future success, what began as a small ambition grew into something much larger and significant over time.

In conclusion, Aalap Shah’s journey reflects perseverance, innovation, and a passion for good food. From a food-loving hotelier to the founder of Lollo Rosso, he and Tarak Das have built a brand backed by strong foundational ethos of always being true to their food. They believe that if they only wont enjoy their food, how will others enjoy it. Hence the constant cycle of refining and maintaining their food has always been their priority. Their shared commitment to quality and customer satisfaction remains at the core of their mission. 

Here’s to the unique bowl-meal concept crafted by Aalap Shah!

Keep visiting Gujpreneur for more such inspiring stories.