Business Traveller India speaks to Karan Nohria – Founder of Silly, Mumbai and one of the youngest restaurateurs in India.
What was the biggest challenge you faced as a young entrepreneur?
I would say my biggest challenge was my lack of experience. As I started off at a young age, people never took me seriously because they felt I didn’t have the required experience to work and handle certain projects. However, I can see a world of a difference in the way people perceive me now after creating a brand such as Silly as compared to how I was perceived during my initial days.
How did you begin your journey in the world of hospitality?
I started off by hosting events for other clubs along with having two of my own delivery kitchens. It just felt like the right time to expand into having my own restaurant when the space I wanted was available (Silly’s current location).
What are a few things that we would always find in your carry-on luggage?
The things that one will always find in my luggage bag are my AirPods, my phones (personal and business) , the current novel that I am reading and a pair of sneakers!
What’s your favourite travel destination?
Dubai, without a doubt! I genuinely believe it iis one of the most advanced countries in terms of technology, infrastructure, food, fashion and my favourite- cars!
Silly as a restaurant is a space that offers more than F&B, what was your inspiration to create such a space?
Coming from a Punjabi family, I have grown up with food being of the utmost importance! From this grew a fascination and curiosity about the food and beverage sector as a whole. This curiosity then transpired into a desire to work in a field that motivates me every day. A resto-bar does that! After that, inspiration and ideas for opening my own restaurant began to flow. However, I wanted to start something that makes people happy. Hence, I wanted to develop a concept that no one had ever seen before. I had decided on the concept of Silly from the very beginning, even before I decided on the name. I knew the space I wanted to create. My aim was to create a mix of Goa, Morocco, and all things bohemian with a lot of greenery around!
