Goa is not only considered a party hub or a destination where you go for sun, sand, and water…today, the state has become one of the top dining destinations in the country. Restaurants from across the country are venturing into the Goan market looking at all the opportunities that this city holds. And, similarly, we have seen top chefs, restaurateurs living in the city opening gourmet dining destinations. “We opened Route 66 {Smoke House and Grill} in the year 2014, I always knew that Panjim is my next destination as the audience was right there,” shared Chef and Restaurateur Xavs Norr who has now expanded his restaurant to Panjim.

“In Panjim, we have quite a few festivals that happen, I decided to participate in all the events under the banner of my Current restaurant 'Tin Tin Gastro Bar', where I bought the whole diner experience, people started to queue up, after smelling the aroma of meats from my grill. Seeing their happy faces and hunger satiated, they came back every day now to eat some and pack some for the family. After these festivals, they would visit my restaurant in Vagator. That’s when I knew we are ready to get into Panjim and within a few months’ viola, we were right there, giving the people what they really craved for…We continued doing these festival events for another couple of years, making space for other entrepreneurs,” he added.

Read what he has to say on his journey:

How has been the response so far for route 66?

From day 1 we have had a fabulous response, with guests coming from all over Goa. Domestic tourists have made it a ritual to visit us every holiday, pre-pandemic we had a casual run of global travelers.

Though your focus is on serving American-style food to the diners but you try and source the locally grown ingredients from local farmers. How do you focus on the authenticity of the food with these ingredients?

We have been artisanal from day 1 of our journey, this practice comes with honing skills for over 2 decades on international soils, bringing it back was easy, though, in reality, that was the need of the hour, we did grow a few vegetables, associated with local farmers, exchanged thoughts. And received good results. We have had a good run at brining and pickling vegetables and jalapenos. The meat industry is way far different than any international country, as the cattle are not graded, or you really don’t know the diet they had been, I did visit selected meat shops with my butcher knives explaining to them different cuts, where my interests lie, which cuts I am interested in, why marbling is very important in meat, etc. I should have the first few, who aged his steaks, minced his own meat for hamburger patty, made sausages, smoking bacon, ham, bresaola, and a lot more. All this was regularly mentioned and explained to our guests and they would be more eager the next time to try something new and listen to the story of the origin and the process.

We have been talking a lot about sustainability and locally sourced foods, raw materials. Why it’s important to think of it now?

Partaking in sustainable food practices is a social responsibility & I wish that this had been practiced decades ago, like in Europe and some other countries. It ensures your business or home has a low environmental impact. Sustainable food aims to avoid damaging or wasting natural resources. It minimizes the contribution to climate change as it often means eating more local food which is not transported too far. Sustainable farming choices ensure respect for biodiversity as often the smaller, more local farms grow a variety of fruit and vegetables for smaller-scale consumers which, in turn, protects the biodiversity of the land and soil. It also helps to aid good employment and community support.

1} Investing in sustainable packaging. This can be anything from reusing old materials to making new packaging; or making packaging out of compostable or recyclable materials.

2) Making an effort to use environmentally friendly cleaning products

3) Impose a work environment that encourages sustainability. To effectively be a part of the sustainability movement long-term you should ensure your staff also engage in it so that the practices go beyond the four walls of your business. 

4) Recording the quantities of waste being produced and at which areas within the kitchen so the data can be measured and analyzed in order to put in procedures to reduce waste

5) Try to source local ingredients as best you can. For example, many restaurants have seasonal menus which rotate with what is available in simple “plot to plate eating”, which essentially calls for as much reduction as possible to be homegrown and harvested.

6) When using meat, encourage a nose-to-tail attitude that sets out to use as much of the animal as possible, in as many ways as possible, so little goes to waste

What was the top idea that you had in mind while deciding the location for the restaurant?

Yes, we looked everywhere, I knew we needed to seat a maximum of 50 guests at a time, the cuisine is American, and my target clientele would be from a range of 3 yrs. old to a 90-year-old, in simple, this place I would choose had to have an old family feel to it & should have some parking. I knew the outcome of my formula and started my hunt until I have seen it at the restaurant we are now at; I knew this was the fit for my formula

5 things you suggest a restaurant owner should keep in mind while looking for an ideal location?

1) Foot Traffic

2) Accessibility & Parking

3) Competition

4) Ordinances

5) Buildings Infrastructure

Also, when we look at data, it shows burgers and other American favorites where top ordered food online across India. Have you also tried your hand at delivery? What’s the response?

Yes, we have been delivering personally since 2014, since we opened, and the response then was amazing, though now working with the home delivery aggregators, the business is twice the volume. The percentages charged by the aggregators & the packaging cost have crossed the basic business margins, where we can’t add that extra cost to the guest’s bill. So here the Question lies “to be or not to be”.

How has technology changed the restaurant business in the last 2-3 years?

·        Online ordering systems & Delivery apps

·        Self-ordering Kiosks

·        Contactless Payment

·        Online table reservation system

·        QR codes for menus and reviews

·        Food & Beverage Inventory

·        Geo Tracking Mobile Attendance

·        P&L reports and Analytics

·        Security and Surveillance

4 key technology/delivery trends you see would emerge in near future?

·        Drone food delivery systems

·        Robotics in F&B operations

·        Prep line automation

·        Virtual restaurants

What’s your comment on the restaurant scenario in Goa as compared to cities like Delhi and Mumbai where we have seen lots of international chains, and chefs entering the scene?

Chefs, mixologists, bakers, and hospitality entrepreneurs are racing with ideas and concepts after observing the explosion of innovation in other countries, they all have made a beeline to Goa, making Goa their canvas, they are young, enigmatic, dynamic, and amazingly talented, each one of them has lovely personalities that reflect on to their product. Yes, Goa is India’s new gourmet capital.

What’s your expansion plan?

Our plan is to go through multiple brands, some not yet ready to disclose, but surely another Route 66 coming soon by the end of 2022 and maybe another new restaurant concept in a few months.