The National Restaurant Association of India, in collaboration with Reelo, successfully hosted a focused Learning & Development (L&D) session titled ‘Stop Renting Customers: Build Growth Beyond Discounts & Aggregators’ on 14th May 2026 in Kolkata.
The session brought together over 150+ restaurant owners, operators, marketers and senior decision-makers for meaningful conversations around sustainable restaurant growth, customer ownership, retention and long-term profitability in an increasingly competitive food service landscape.
As restaurants continue to navigate rising operational costs, evolving consumer expectations and growing dependence on third-party platforms, the session focused on how brands can build stronger direct customer relationships, drive repeat business and create sustainable growth models beyond discount-led acquisition strategies.
A key highlight of the evening was an engaging fireside chat featuring Rahul Singh, Founder & CEO of The Beer Cafe in conversation with Parin Sanghvi, Founder, Reelo, where both speakers shared practical insights on customer retention, CRM-led growth strategies, loyalty programmes and personalised customer engagement.
During the discussion, Rahul Singh emphasised the importance of balancing aggregator-led discovery with direct customer relationships, stating that “aggregators are not the enemy, dependency on aggregators is.” He further highlighted how restaurants today must focus on building memorable customer experiences and long-term engagement rather than relying solely on transactional discounting models.
The conversation also explored the growing role of technology and data in helping restaurants better understand customer behaviour, personalise communication and improve retention. Speakers highlighted how customer data, behavioural insights and loyalty-led engagement can help brands create stronger emotional recall and community-driven growth.
Parin Sanghvi spoke about the need for restaurants to move beyond mass discounting strategies and focus on building meaningful customer relationships through data-led engagement. He also shared insights on how restaurants can leverage customer behaviour analytics, automation and personalised communication to improve repeat visits and strengthen customer loyalty over time.
Speaking about the initiative, Piyush Kankaria, Chapter Head, NRAI Kolkata said, “The restaurant industry is witnessing a significant shift towards sustainable and relationship-driven growth models. Through this session, we aimed to create meaningful industry dialogue around customer ownership, retention and long-term profitability while enabling restaurateurs to exchange practical insights and learnings.”
The session witnessed active participation and discussions from restaurant operators and hospitality professionals across Kolkata, with conversations centred around CRM adoption, loyalty-building, customer engagement strategies and the importance of creating differentiated dining experiences in today’s evolving restaurant ecosystem. The initiative is part of NRAI’s continued efforts to drive industry learning, collaboration and knowledge-sharing opportunities for the restaurant community across India.
