From Silk Street to Soho restauranteur

Mathew Chandy was a finance lawyer in the City for seven years, initially with Linklaters and then at UBS. He traded in his old job to team up with Sameer Singh (an old mate from the National Law School of India, Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, ex-Boston Consulting) and Raju Rawat (a chef with 12 years of experience at Benares, Bombay Bicycle Club, Oberoi) to start a high concept restaurant in Soho. The restaurant, which opens next month, aims to bring healthy Indian food for customers on the go.

Leaving the law

I have always wanted to start and run my own business. Passionate about food, cooking and entertainment, the restaurant business is the ideal fit for me. It feels great to be doing something positive and constructive while the economy groans and stumbles its way through this recession.

Having worked with some fine lawyers and bankers at Linklaters and UBS, the legal training, the confidence and the contacts that I have developed over the last eight years in the City have been incredibly useful in my new avatar. We were always encouraged to look beyond the law and to understand the economic rationale underpinning corporate finance transactions. Having an intelligent and driven business partner, and advisers with restaurant experience and a wealth of contacts also helps.

A tough environment

Finding a willing lender was hard. The usual high street lenders have not re-opened their lending books despite press reports to the contrary.

But we soldiered on and finally found an Indian bank with a strong balance sheet, a small presence in the UK and, most importantly, a willingness to listen to us and see the potential of our concept and the team behind it. We have had to give personal guarantees, but we see that as a necessary evil to making Mooli's a reality.

The recession is actually a great opportunity for us. Our food is priced at the value end of the market, which has not been adversely affected by the recession. In fact this sector has benefited from consumers trading down to more inexpensive dining options. Good talent is also easier to find.

We have managed to assemble a team of experienced chefs, restaurateurs, financiers and marketeers, many of whom have invested time and money in the business, money that might otherwise have been invested in property or stocks. Besides, prime property is now available at reasonable prices. We could never have afforded a place in the heart of Soho two years ago.

Soho is still the most exciting spot in London. Before settling on the 50 Frith Street location (close to Ronnie Scott's Jazz Bar), we spent a lot of time watching the footfall in Soho and observing dining habits at all hours of the day. Soho is a great location for Mooli's' first store. With its vibrant media industry, a thriving theatre and nightlife, Soho is receptive to new restaurant concepts.

Mooli's

The concept was originally the brainchild of Sam, my business partner. As a student in Oxford and later a management consultant at Boston Consulting he wanted tasty and wholesome food that was also fast and inexpensive. With over 10,000 Indian restaurants in the UK, it was strange to him that nobody was offering Indian-inspired flavours in a form that is light, quick and good value. And so the mooli was created.

What is a mooli?

A light roti (made in-house and fresh off Moolita, our unique bread machine from Texas), hand-rolled together with our eclectic range of warm fillings (Keralan beef, cumin potato and asparagus, grated paneer, Goan pork), zesty salsas and chutneys. Moolis are more than just wraps. They are great with beers, lassis, chai, juices and cocktails.

We have created different moolis that should cater to all possible tastes - meaty, vegan, spicy, delicately flavoured. The mooli has been inspired by and developed over the course of our travels. For example, trips to the palace of the Nawab of Lucknow (where the Indian kati roll was first created), the Malabar Coast of India (where the Indian-Syrian Christians invented their unique Keralan beef), San-Antonio, Texas.

Our menu is intentionally very simple to keep it manageable.

Another take-away

No, we don't do greasy rice and curry take-aways. Nothing comes floating in a layer of oil and nothing is deep-fried. You definitely won't get glow-in-the-dark tikka masala at Mooli's. While we are not diet food, our mooli's are light, handmade and we don't add preservatives or colours. We took the bold decision of making fresh bread everyday because of the number of harmful preservatives that are added to externally-sourced flat bread (making it taste a bit synthetic).

In fact Mooli's will be far removed from traditional Indian restaurants and take-aways. We have invested a lot of time and money to create a space (and food) that will look and feel very different from the usual Café Bollywood Masala with flock wallpaper and pictures of the Taj Mahal.

Missing the law?

Not really. I have already had to call on my legal skills a number of times. We had to analyse the risks of a potential trademark dispute, prepare for a series of difficult discussions with the VAT man, cobble together shareholder agreements and have had some painfully difficult lease negotiations.

Highlight so far

There have been so many! Alan Yau (restauranteur and founder of Hakkasan, Busaba, etc) complimenting us on the novelty of our offering. Visiting the Monmouth roastery to sample their espresso blends. Selling our first mooli at the Sunday Upmarket (we use this for feedback and market testing) and selling-out that day.

Meeting Simon Woodroffe (founder of Yo! Sushi and former Dragon's Den Dragon). Training days at the Cinnamon Club. Tasting the bread fresh off Moolita.

If the concept catches on in Soho, Mooli's will crop up in a few more locations across London and the UK. Mooli's is not a power hungry multi-national (yet).

For more information on Mooli's and the restaurant visit www.moolis.com. Legal Week wants to hear other stories of lawyers starting offbeat adventures - email charlotte.edmond@legalweek.com.