The Innovative Food Entrepreneurs Associates was founded by Anil Mulchandani, with co-founders Dilip Thakar, Rohit Khanna and Darshan Rawal, on 12th July 2017.
The idea of starting this organisation was to start an informal platform for restaurant owners to share information about industry matters like laws, policies, schemes, taxes, regulations, trends, recipes, etc. FEA Groups were formed on messaging services with members added to the relevant group.
FEA has more than 1500 members, including restaurant and café owners, hoteliers, resort owners, caterers, chefs, owners of sweet and snack businesses, bakeries, dairies, home-based entrepreneurs, among others. Allied sectors like tourism, food blogging and media, consultancy, equipment supplies, and event management are also included.
Thus, stakeholders of the food and hospitality industry have been connected on FEA platforms without any fees.
FEA FOUNDERS
Anil Mulchandani
Anil Mulchandani is an independent writer since 1992. His articles have been published in more than 50 publications, including most of India’s leading newspapers, magazines, inflight publications, newsletters and journals. Largely known for his travelogues and food articles, he has also covered diverse subjects like the arts, handicrafts, environmental and social issues, social development initiatives, industry, innovative entrepreneurs, architecture and interiors, sports, among others, Anil is the author of many internationally-published travel books, including guides to Kerala and Southern India, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan and other states. He has also written coffee table books and commemorative volumes for industry associations and government organizations. He is also a food critic and author of food guides.
He has also lectured at conferences, workshops, seminars, webinars and symposiums on topics related to food, heritage and tourism organized by leading bodies like the Ministry of Tourism Government of India, Gujarat Tourism, CII, FICCI, IHM, IIHM, etc.
Anil Mulchandani has held positions like the Secretary of Hotel & Restaurant Association (Gujarat) and Advisor, Heritage Tourism Association. He was a member of the Tourism Committee of CII and has also been a member of the Food Committee and Tourism Committee of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He was a knowledge partner for FICCI FLO’s Heritage Tourism Seminar and FICCI FLO’s Food & Agriculture Tourism Conference. He has also been on many other committees.
He conceptualized FEA as a platform in 2017 and looks after the creative aspects of the organization like publications, communications and curating events.
Dilip Thakkar
Dilip Thakkar is a hospitality professional who has done courses at IHM Ahmedabad. He has considerable experience in the restaurant industry, having joined his father in the running of Gopi Dining Hall in his student years. He heads the 42-year old Gopi brand which now has two branches in Ahmedabad.
He was the Secretary, Hotel and Restaurant Association (Gujarat) for many years, and is currently a committee member of HRA Western India and Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He is also actively involved with other organisations. He has also lectured on various aspects of the restaurant business and conducted classes, workshops, webinars and programmes at institutions like IIM Ahmedabad, IHM, IIHM, etc.
He has actively mentored many young members of FEA and ran a counselling helpline where members could contact him to discuss their problems during the Lockdown.
Given his experience of being an office-bearer of associations, he has the ability to develop and maintain critical relationships with influential people in the industry and government.
Rohit Khanna
Rohit Khanna hails from a business family and has been active in many businesses like logistics, automobile dealership, etc. In 2009, he started Kbobs which has become a reputed brand of takeaway restaurants for North Indian food. He has advised many FEA members on matters related to business. Being one of the early movers in the operation of takeaway and delivery restaurants, he has been able to guide many members wanting to enter this space. He is also active in philanthropic activities.
Darshan Rawal
Darshan Rawal is a pizzaiolo (certified pizza making chef) from New York. He is a hotelier in New York and director of a company in India.
He started Soho Café and Soho Il Forno, specialising in American foods and pizzas.
Because of his technical insights into the kitchen, Darshan has been an asset for FEA’s members whenever they need advice on equipment, appliances and recipes.
Following the Lockdown, Darshan Rawal was selected by the Food Safety Commissioner for Gujarat & Commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration, to speak at their webinar on the safety processes of restaurants in the Pandemic scenario.
Achievements of FEA:
- FEA has organised knowledge-events covering topics like Food Standards and Safety Regulations, Kitchen hygiene and sanitation, software and other technology, human resource, plastic-free packaging options, sustainable goals, micro-greens, etc.
- FEA has organised several networking events like lunches, dinners and high-tea for its members to meet and share information.
- FEA has launched CULINARY ENTREPRENEURS, a magazine for the food, tourism and hospitality industry.
- FEA has been the catalyst for many tie-ups, collaborations and large events.
- FEA organised Earth Fest 2019, the first-of-its-kind animal cruelty free food exhibition in Ahmedabad with vegan food, vegan food products and organic products.
- FEA organised Food Festival of Women Chefs 2020 in association with Active Media and Sports Club. More than 50 women food entrepreneurs exhibited their food at the event. Workshops were conducted on topics related to food and hospitality careers, baking, growing vegetables and micro-greens, etc.
- FEA was the partner for Mirror GreenDot, a vegetarian food festival organised by Times. Anil Mulchandani, FEA founder, curated the event.
- FEA partnered with FICCI Ladies Organisation for an Agri-initiative where marginalised women farmers connected with owners of restaurants and food suppliers so the former could understand the needs of the market.
- FEA was the knowledge partner for the FICCI FLO Food and Agriculture Tourism Conference, curated by FEA founder Anil Mulchandani.
- FEA supported the super-successful Weekend with a Home Chef series curated by FEA founder Anil Mulchandani at Green House, House of MG. This festival brought home chefs to the spotlight while creating a model for the revival of restaurants.
- FEA curated the UTSAV series of home chef-led festivals at Turquoise Villa Bistro & Café.
- FEA organised innovative food festivals like the Royal Food Festival at Renaissance and the Maratha Food Festival at The Fern.
- FEA organised Food Trails to lesser-known places of Devbhumi Dwarka, the heritage and handicraft cluster of Sayla, the heritage properties of Vadodara, Dowlat Villas – The Heritage, and Rann Riders (Little Rann of Kutch).
- During the Lockdown, FEA was a catalyst between the food service industry and the NGOs and philanthropic groups in the supply of food packets to the economically-challenged sections of society.
- FEA created a Covid Helpline to enable the supply of food and other support to Covid-affected families.
