Empire’s 60-Year Restaurant Legacy: Insights from Shakir Haq

If you live in Bangalore, Empire is not just a restaurant. It’s a habit, a memory, a post-midnight ritual, and for many, an emotion.

So when we sat down with Shakir Haq, CEO at NKP Empire Ventures and the third-generation leader of Empire Restaurants, the conversation wasn’t just about business growth. It was about heritage, resilience, and the unfiltered reality of running a 60-year-old brand in a constantly evolving food landscape.

What follows is a journey through Empire’s past, present, and bold future, all shaped by Shakir’s lived experiences and the philosophies that guided the three generations before him.

A Legacy Rooted in a Simple Philosophy

Empire’s story began decades ago when Shakir’s grandfather, a Malaysian citizen of Indian origin from the northernmost part of Kerala, decided to return to India. Bangalore, then a bustling trade hub filled with Malayali-run eateries and tea shops, became the natural choice to start something of his own.

The early Empire was nothing like the large, iconic brand it is today. It was:

a small eatery,
selling tea and snacks,
run entirely on simple principles.

And the philosophy was crystal clear:

This value system didn’t just shape the early years; it still defines Empire today. Shakir points out that more than 100 employees have remained with the company for over 25 years. That’s the mark of a business that puts its people first.

From a Small Eatery to the Taste of Bangalore

As Bangalore grew, Empire grew with it.
From handwritten KOTs to digitised systems, from firewood to gas, from one outlet to over 45, the brand adapted constantly without cutting corners.

Shakir describes how the first few decades were spent simply building the foundation:

experimenting with their signature dishes,
evolving the menu through trial and error,
upgrading infrastructure,
and learning from mistakes.

A major turning point came in 2003 when Empire took a bold risk:
opening a new outlet on Church Street with a rent of ₹3.5 lakh, a huge amount at the time.

The gamble paid off.
That outlet became an iconic address, especially during the IT and BPO boom. Empire quickly became Bangalore’s default late-night destination.

Entering the Business: “I Learned the Rawest Parts First.”

Shakir always knew he would join the family business, but his entry wasn’t glamorous. At 23, he joined as a trainee, not to manage, but to observe, absorb, and learn.

He recalls dealing with:

customer complaints,
late-night brawls,
police-enforced shutdowns,
chaotic kitchens,
and daily operations without any shortcuts.

Soon after, he moved to Dubai to manage two restaurants on his own.
There, he learned accounting manually, handled the full P&L, made decisions independently, and learned through failures.

The experience shaped him deeply.

A Leadership Transition Marked by Loss and Responsibility

In 2015, after Shakir’s father passed away, he returned to a business with 18–19 outlets. His uncle and a strong operations team kept things stable, but by 2018, Shakir stepped in as CEO.

Somewhere between 2010 and 2018, the business had drifted away from its slow-and-steady philosophy. Expansion became aggressive, and the brand briefly chased valuations, something that didn’t align with Empire’s DNA.

Shakir took over with inherited debt, legacy issues, and internal resistance.

And then, COVID hit.

Everything stopped.
But the crisis became the perfect reset button.

Rebuilding the Foundation: The Post-COVID Reset

During COVID, Empire shut outlets, let teams go, and faced huge financial losses. But Shakir made a bold decision:
liquidate an asset to cover the losses and rebuild from scratch.

Empire strengthened:

backend systems
logistics
the central kitchen
supply chain
POS and data visibility
and overall operations

This rebuilding phase led to one of the Empire’s biggest breakthroughs – the Centre of Excellence.

The Centre of Excellence: Consistency by Design

Consistency was Empire’s biggest challenge.

So, they built a world-class facility that ensures uniformity across all outlets. Here’s what it does:

Vegetables arrive ready-to-use in portion-controlled packs.
Gravies, bases, and marinades are prepared using automated kettles and woks.
Products move through pumping lines directly into packaging.
Masalas are IP-controlled, just like leading spice manufacturers.
Every process is monitored through IoT systems.
Rejection rates are high because standards are non-negotiable.

This system allows even unskilled staff to produce consistent dishes every time.

Better processes = better products = better guest experience.

The Empire Way: Hospitality Over Service

One of Shakir’s strongest beliefs is the difference between service and hospitality:

Empire focuses on the emotional experience.

People don’t just say the food is good.
They describe:

who they were with,
where they were coming from,
how Empire is always the go-to spot at midnight,
and why it feels comfortable whether it’s 2 PM or 2 AM.

This comfort is intentional; Empire wants to be a daily, habitual brand.

The nostalgia runs deep, especially at the oldest outlets, where some customers have been visiting thrice a week for 30+ years. Shakir’s father’s office in one of those outlets is still kept untouched as a mark of respect.