“Restaurants need to have a point of difference, and provide authentic appeal, Attorney-General,” Aiyaz Sayed- Khaiyum, said as he launched Ta- Ta’s restaurant in Nadi.

“Everybody knows Tata’s,” he said, as he saluted the owners for their confidence.

He said there was a need to understand the level of competition.

“A lot of tourists will come to a restaurant like this, to experience the local flavours,” Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.

“They look at other things like price points and hospitality, and the friendliness of the people.”

“Restaurants offer the point of difference, which offers the Fijian experience that many other places cannot. ”

“When people come to resorts, they want to experience the local flavour.”

“Those are the kinds of things we need to constantly think about.”

Network And Family Support

He said businesses needed network and family support to succeed.

Director Dinesh Pillay said his restaurant was forced to close when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the close of international borders.

“We were hit hard, but our dream and passion to continue the business was unfazed,” he said.

“We thank the Government for the grant that was given to sustain our operations, and to employ 10 Fijians.”

Milestone

Reopening Tata’s cost its owners $60, 000.

Mr Pillay’s older brother, Umesh Pillay, runs Tata’s Indian Restaurant at Rooty Hill, Sydney, Australia.

“This is a milestone, as we had chains of restaurants in Suva from 1979 to 1988,” he said.

The restaurant is located at the Maya Pande Road, behind Pacific Service, Nadi, and opens daily, from 8am to 10pm.

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