JKS Restaurants currently operates successful Motu Indian Kitchens at four Deliveroo Editions locations (Battersea, Islington, Canary Wharf and – most recently – Swiss Cottage).
Founder Karam Sethi says it was always the group’s intention to use Deliveroo Editions as a low-cost means of exploring suburban London.
“Motu has given us the confidence to create a high street restaurant format,” says Karam. “The eat-in sites will have a wider menu but it will still be a familiar curry-house-style experience.”
Along with sibling and fellow co-founders Jyotin and Sunaina, Karam will soon start looking for sites with south London mooted as the most likely location for the inaugural Motu restaurant.
“There needs to be significant demand for delivery in an area for it to work,” says Jyotin. “Eat-in sales complemented by a strong delivery element represents a big opportunity for us.”
The Motu brand was launched in late 2016. The concept is more mainstream than the Sethis eat-in restaurants, offering familiar Indian dishes including chicken tikka masala and rogan josh.
The Sethis’ say their secret weapon is a higher price point (most curries are north of £10) and the fact the dishes that have been designed for delivery – and delivery only. “To operate in this world successfully, you need to accept that the food won’t be the same as it will be in a restaurant,” says Karam. “We’re not trying to take what we do in Gymkhana and make it work for delivery.”
The Sethis also revealed plans to open overseas and revealed more details about their upcoming City of London restaurant Brigadiers. To read Restaurant magazine’s exclusive interview pick up the March issue of the magazine.