Archive · 22 Aug 2026
How Mumbai’s The Table Grew Into A Food Empire
Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf started The Table in Mumbai after working in other industries.
They did not originally have a detailed plan to build a large food company.
The restaurant opened in 2011 and became popular for carefully prepared food in a relaxed setting.
When its founding chef left, the team had to work hard to keep the restaurant’s identity strong.
Later, the couple used available spaces to create new food businesses.
These included a farm, a shared kitchen, a diner, a delivery kitchen and a French restaurant.
The Covid-19 pandemic encouraged them to work more with regional Indian chefs.
Today, their group employs about 600 people and is still funded by the owners themselves.
They say the most important goal is to build things they are proud of.
Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf opened The Table in 2011 without hospitality experience.
The restaurant grew from a modern American concept into a wider food-and-beverage group.
Their ventures now include The Table Farm, Magazine Street Kitchen, Mag ST., Iktara and Kaspers.
The group’s expansion was largely driven by available real estate rather than a long-term plan.
The entirely self-funded group employs roughly 600 people and avoids aggressive expansion.
- Who
- Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf, founders of The Table and its related food businesses.
- What
- A Mumbai restaurant developed into a broader, self-funded food-and-beverage group.
- When
- The Table opened in 2011; the group’s subsequent ventures were added over the following years, including Magazine Street Kitchen in 2016 and Kaspers within the year before the article.
- Where
- Mumbai, with The Table Farm located in Alibaug.
- Why
- The businesses emerged from the founders’ interest in chef-led restaurants, available real estate and opportunities to support chefs, food production and dining concepts.
- Founders
- Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf
- The Table opening
- 2011
- Magazine Street Kitchen
- Launched in 2016 as a space for visiting chefs, workshops and pop-ups
- Farm output
- The Table Farm in Alibaug supplies around 1.5 tonnes of produce annually
- Group workforce
- Roughly 600 employees
- Ownership
- The group remains entirely self-funded
- Recent recognition
- The Table ranked No. 1 in the Condé Nast Traveller X District Top Restaurant Awards 2025