Bengaluru-based VRO Hospitality has taken up 3500 sq. ft. retail space at Lodha World, making the French cafés foray into Mumbai for the first time
Mumbai will see a hot new destination soon, as a French café brand opens within the Lodha World premises. Café Noir by Bengaluru-based VRO Hospitality will offer an array of cakes, sandwiches, quiches, and other bakery items. Originally started by Frenchman Thierry Jasserand more than a decade ago, Café Noir’s first outlet was at Bengaluru’s upscale shopping destination UB City, where it soon became legendary for its bakes, coffees & breakfast.
However, in 2020, Thierry decided to return home, which is also when VRO Hospitality took over this quaint coffee place. The cafe also has a new culinary director, Daniel Koshy, who comes with nearly three decades of experience, and is a magician in terms of baking. After a decade of success in Bengaluru that saw VRO Hospitality create successful and popular brands like Hangover, Badmaash, Nevermind, Mirage, Destination, and Mr. Tycoon, the group is now all set to enter Mumbai for the first time ever with Café Noir.
Needless to say, the Mumbai edition of Café Noir will be in tune with the city’s vibes. “Besides our posh new estate in Lodha World, we have elevated the interiors and made it closer to the timeless French bistros of Paris. Our menu is also a little different, as we are inviting Mumbaikars to come here even for dinner, and not just coffee”, VRO co-founder Dawn Thomas explains.
Co-founder Sharath Rice, an experienced restaurateur added, “The new avatar of Café Noir in Mumbai will have mains, along with our popular bakes, sandwiches and quiches. We are working really hard to offer Mumbaikars a truly world-class dining experience as they start their hunt for new and exciting food haunts in town.”
Besides Café Noir, VRO Hospitality also acquired Fava, Plan B, Caperberry, and One Night in Bangkok that were transiting from the F&B space last year due to the impact of COVID. The acquisitions were followed by a fresh round of funding (Series A) this year worth $3 million and will help VRO take its diverse portfolio across India. Around 80% of the Series A funding, which was led by Creed Capital, will be going into expansion as VRO is planning to add 16 new projects in Bengaluru, Goa, Mumbai, Kochi, and Chennai.
