How to Keep Your Restaurant Rammed for 10+ Years: London’s Most Iconic Sri Lankan Restaurant “Hoppers” - Karan Gokani
HUNGRY.Show Notes
I thought Karan would define success in the usual restaurant terms — reviews, covers, repeat customers. His answer went somewhere way more interesting. In this episode, I sit down with Karan Gokani to talk about how Hoppers became one of London’s most iconic restaurants — and how it has stayed busy, relevant, and loved for over a decade in an industry where that feels almost impossible. Karan shares the principles behind that success: make it personal, find your purpose, build a culture of kindness, and create something that makes people feel more than they expected.
📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may please fill out ON THE MENU: 00:00 Intro 00:34 Opening Hoppers and refusing to dilute Sri Lankan food 02:12 Growing from Soho to Marylebone and King’s Cross 05:37 The biggest misconception about scaling restaurants 06:00 Culture, values, purpose and learning to codify instinct 08:15 How Covid changed hospitality teams and restaurant culture 09:01 Reading the room and spotting cultural red flags 11:58 Karan’s first business principle: make it personal 15:35 How taking feedback personally improves hospitality 20:52 Karan’s second principle: find your purpose 22:04 Saying yes to everything and discovering the common thread 23:03 Why Karan’s real purpose is inspiring people 24:43 How writing, Instagram and restaurants all connect to purpose 28:19 Asking why am I excited? 31:15 Beyond Reviews: Karan’s deeper definition of success 31:52 How Karan thinks differently from other restaurateurs 34:03 How to align a team around shared culture 35:18 Service versus hospitality 36:19 Building a culture of kindness 38:59 Karan’s definition of culture 42:04 What Karan has radically changed his mind on 45:35 Self-criticism, reinvention and never stepping in the same river twice 49:39 Growing up in Mumbai and how it shaped Karan 52:28 Why Karan came to the UK 54:45 Cambridge, curiosity and the people who shaped him 57:23 First principles thinking and mental models 58:18 Applying first principles to Hoppers 01:03:15 What problem are we really solving? 01:07:55 The marketing levers that fill restaurants 01:08:19 Why there is no perfect formula for restaurant success 01:08:42 Food as language and the restaurant as conversation 01:10:06 The soul of a restaurant and the importance of culture 01:12:29 The creative insecurities Karan still wrestles with 01:13:15 Competition, purpose and staying true to yourself 01:14:32 Food as a gateway into culture 01:15:19 Why Indian food is far more diverse than people realise 01:17:14 Why South Indian food remains underrated 01:18:28 The legacy of the British Indian curry house 01:21:46 The anthropology and nostalgia of food 01:27:48 Breaking down the dishes at the table 01:31:33 Designing the architecture and atmosphere of each Hoppers 01:35:45 Cooking as an expression of self 01:36:43 The similarities between writing and cooking 01:38:24 Why the JKS group has been so important to London restaurants 01:40:32 Building the infrastructure behind creative hospitality 01:42:27 Karan’s favourite books and inspirations 01:44:28 Closing thoughts and why there’s more to talk about
============================================== ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 ============================================== 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)
📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may please fill out
More from HUNGRY.
📙Download HUNGRY Big Banging Reading list here 🧾 HUNGRY survey would be so grateful if you may please fill out
What does it take to survive London's notoriously brutal restaurant industry? And how do you build a restaurant that has something money can't buy — soul? Dan Pope sits down with Ben Tish, chef, restaurateur and culinary director of the Cubitt House group, to unpack the highs, lows and hard-earned lessons of a career in hospitality. From escaping Skegness at 18 and being thrown into the ruthless kitchens of The Ritz by Jason Atherton, to helping build the celebrated Salt Yard Group, Ben reveals how discipline, resilience and great leadership shaped his career. He opens up about the devastating Jay Rayner review that questioned the future of Salt Yard, why some restaurants never find their soul, the dangers of opening to enormous hype, and what it really takes to create a loyal following. They also explore the reinvention of British pubs, the economics of running restaurants in London, the magic of Sicilian cooking, and the personal toll of leaving a business you've helped build. A candid conversation about ambition, failure, creative confidence and why the toughest moments in hospitality can teach you the most.
What does it really take to become a sushi master? And why does one of London's most celebrated Japanese chefs believe that mastering the knife is the easy part? Dan Pope sits down with Endo Kazutoshi, the chef behind Kioku, to explore the extraordinary discipline, philosophy and creativity behind Japanese cuisine. From 17-hour working days and a brutally demanding apprenticeship to a 100-year-old sushi sauce passed down through generations, Endo reveals how tradition has shaped his approach to food, leadership and life. They explore the Japanese philosophy of Ichigo Ichie, why Endo sees sushi as his punk rock, the importance of respecting farmers and fishermen, and his belief that a great restaurant depends on a golden triangle of guests, team and suppliers. Along the way, they dive into samurai wisdom, Zen Buddhism, Steve Jobs, Japanese calligraphy, the dangers of social media, and what Pep Guardiola can teach us about building extraordinary teams. A conversation about much more than sushi: curiosity, craftsmanship, creative rebellion and the pursuit of excellence. ON THE MENU: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:18 The Brutal Reality of Japanese Sushi Apprenticeships 00:03:15 Born Into a Sushi Dynasty 00:05:18 What Sat Bains Teaches Chefs About Thinking 00:08:34 The Golden Triangle of Restaurant Success 00:12:35 The Japanese Philosophy of Ichigo Ichie 00:15:07 Why Sushi Is More Than Food 00:18:08 Japanese Spirituality, Language and Culture 00:22:00 How Life Experiences Shape Japanese Cuisine 00:26:17 The Unspoken Lessons of a Sushi Master 00:30:20 Chris Williamson's 2D vs 3D Life Lessons 00:35:00 Has Technology Made Learning Too Easy? 00:39:45 The Correct Way to Eat Sushi in Japan 00:43:57 Why Great Restaurants Need a Little Madness 00:48:30 Bruce Lee's Be Like Water Philosophy 00:50:49 Don't Look at the Tree, Look at the Forest 00:54:31 Why Endo Calls Sushi His Punk Rock 00:59:00 Japan vs London: Two Different Worlds 01:05:18 Japan's Loneliness and Work Culture 01:10:56 Samurai Wisdom and The Book of Five Rings 01:16:12 What Really Stresses a Sushi Master? 01:23:21 How Do You Come Back Stronger? 01:26:31 Are We All Living in The Matrix? 01:30:07 Steve Jobs, Calligraphy and Japanese Creativity 01:34:37 Is Sushi Really a Form of Art? 01:39:05 The Discipline Behind Extraordinary Kitchen Teams 01:44:38 Why Respect Is the Ultimate Business Weapon 01:49:19 Michel Roux, Pep Guardiola and Aggressive Leadership 01:52:04 Why Great Chefs Must Embrace Uncertainty
============================================== ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 ============================================== 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)