He built one of India’s largest restaurant empires, but says the restaurant business is widely misunderstood. In this episode of Table 1, Zorawar Kalra joins Vir Sanghvi for a candid conversation about money, ambition, failure and building Massive Restaurants into one of India’s most influential hospitality groups. He opens up about going bankrupt in his early years, living under the enormous shadow of his father Jiggs Kalra, and why even successful restaurateurs may not be as rich as people think. Zorawar reveals the risks behind launching Masala Library, the fierce competition for chefs and talent, and how television and MasterChef India transformed his public profile. He reflects on coming back from the US to take over a family business in crisis, bootstrapping his very first paratha trolley outside Defence Colony, and taking the massive gambles that led to Punjab Grill, Masala Library and Farzi Café. He also speaks about Gaggan Anand and RaGa, their highly anticipated restaurant in New Delhi, and what it takes to build and scale a restaurant empire in India. He explains why he believes Indian cuisine must evolve without losing its identity, the economics behind the restaurant business, and why, despite everything he has achieved, he believes he is “not even 1%” where he wants to be. This is a rare look inside the mind of one of India’s most ambitious restaurateurs and the reality behind building a modern restaurant empire. Table 1 with Vir Sanghvi, produced by Culinary Culture Studios, brings together influential chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and hospitality leaders for honest conversations about ambition, failure, risk and the realities behind building successful empires. Watch the full episode and subscribe for more conversations from Table 1. 00:00 - Starting From Scratch & 40+ Restaurants 02:50 - Growing Up as Jiggs Kalra’s Son 06:09 - Losing Money in the Stock Market 08:43 - Paid as a TV Star, Not a Businessman 10:36 - Returning to India After His Father’s Stroke 12:10 - Deep Depression & Bootstrapping 16:19 - The Paratha Trolley & Early Failures 21:02 - The Meal at elBulli That Changed Everything 27:02 - Selling Punjab Grill & Starting Massive Restaurants 28:38 - Launching Masala Library 30:51 - Poaching Chefs From Indian Accent 33:46 - Inventing Jalebi Caviar 37:19 - Making Indian Food 'Cool' with Farzi Café 55:55 - Becoming a MasterChef India Judge 1:01:29 - Dancing on TV: The Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Story 1:11:09 - Opening RaGa in Delhi with Gaggan Anand 1:20:19 - Private Equity, Investors & a Possible IPO FOLLOW US: Instagram: 📷 https://www.instagram.com/culinarycultureco/ #Table1Podcast #ZorawarKalra #VirSanghvi #CulinaryCulture #HospitalityIndustry