SUMIT MALHOTRA
ENTREPRENEUR
Sumit came to Australia in 2002 as a young hospitality graduate seeking new opportunities. He had just completed a stint as chef at the Hyatt Regency in India and was looking at making a mark in a new country. “The first couple of years in Australia were challenging,” says Sumit, who after working at several restaurants started his own—‘Aangan’—in West Footscray in 2004.
“Our regulars have always been Indian customers. But a review in the Melbourne Magazine in 2006 changed that. Aangan was listed in the top 100 spots to eat in Melbourne and we were on it. That brought in customers from the larger community,” he says.
“The more established you become, the more effort you have to put in.”
In 2014, Sumit opened the second Aangan Restaurant in Deer Park, a restaurant for Indian cuisine. While Aangan is rooted in traditional Indian culture—for instance, clay dishes are used to serve the food while the decor is sprinkled with 18th century pillars and doors from the Holy City of Varanasi in India—the dishes are presented with a modern twist.
Sumit believes the key to a successful business is to listen to customers.
Sumit’s latest venture Dhaba by Aangan is making news in Melbourne.
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