Fit to Lead | Olive Group of Restaurants’ AD Singh: For most part of my life, I have tried to play a sport every day

AD Singh, founder & managing director, Olive Group of Restaurants, does a mix of gym, yoga and team sports to stay fit. (Photo courtesy Olive Group)

Note to readers: Fit to Lead is a series of interviews with business leaders on their approach to fitness, leadership and navigating the new normal.

In the year 2000, Union Park in Bandra was a sleepy neighbourhood. But that changed when the now famous ‘blue doors,’ opened. When AD Singh, founder & managing director, Olive Group of Restaurants launched Olive Bar & Kitchen he changed the way Bombay perceived the suburbs. The white washed, candlelit restaurant with its pebbled floors introduced the city to laid-back dining and, of course, Mediterranean cuisine. Boisterous bar nights, an infectious playlist, art events, flea market evenings and laid back Sunday brunches quickly catapulted Olive as the go-to spot to see (Olive was a Disneyland for celebrity gawkers) and be seen.

But much before Singh made Bandra cool with Olive, the former electronic engineer had already cut his teeth at entrepreneurship with Party Lines, one of Mumbai’s most successful event organising companies. “I somewhat stumbled into becoming an entrepreneur, really. I got my first start in the hospitality industry in 1998; this is the year my sister got married, and I threw a boat party for her. The success of that spurred me to start Party Lines, which offered guests boat parties, which at that time was rare,” says Singh, who went on to launch 14 restaurant brands throughout the country. Some of the successes include SodaBottleOpenerWala, Olly, The Grammar Room, The Fatty Bao, Toast and Tonic, Suzy Wong, Monkey Bar, Guppy and others. Singh’s ability to keep his finger on the pulse of what’s going on and his keen eye for carefully conceptualised restaurants have probably helped him stay way ahead of the pack. Olive recently entered the Metaverse and is one of the few restaurants offering NFTs.

Despite a super hectic schedule, fitness has been a top priority for the 63-year-old. “Being fit helps you give your best to your work and your family. As I am getting older I feel my memory is starting to fade. So I do various exercises for mental strength. I play a word puzzle game called Wordscapes every single night before going to bed. It keeps you sharper. I am on to Sudoku too, though I find it a bit difficult,” he says.

Edited excerpts from an interview:

Your fitness routine…

I believe diet is one of the most important aspect of fitness. Many years ago, during my singlehood days, I discovered a book titled Fit for Life. I have been following a few important principles from the book for the past 30 years. It’s about not mixing your food groups. We tend to eat meat with chapati or rice. But the book says we should have meat with vegetables. Second, I try and eat between 12 am and 8 pm. So I skip breakfast and have a fruit and vegetable juice in the morning, then a lunch and an early dinner. Sticking to these principles has really helped me keep my weight in check, which is the first part of being fit.

Favourite fitness activity…

For most part of my life I have tried to play a sport every day or, at least, five days a week. I really enjoy team sports like padel (a mix of tennis and squash) and volleyball. Golf is also something I love. Currently I do a mix of gym, yoga and team sports. The role of yoga in my life is important and I am committed to staying with it in the future as well.

You have a massive sweet tooth…

That’s the most difficult part for me. But through the variety of my fitness regimes, I have managed to lose some weight in the last two and half year. So, I am in a very lucky position of actually wanting and needing to put on some weight. So, right now I am actually enjoying sweets after lunch and dinner every day.

Your leadership style

It’s very friendly and family-oriented. I believe in treating employees as family and encouraging and supporting them to grow and reach their aspirations. This has helped many of our best people at different restaurants stay with us for a very long time. It’s very important for customers to come back after a gap and be recognised by the staff. That’s really the core of our business. You see, I am not a good chef or a genius with food or restaurants but because of my approach to people I tend to attract good people and retain them. That has helped the company grow so successfully over the last 23 years.

What impact does your image of a 'fit leader' have on your team?

I actually encourage my top management to also be fit. Many of them now walk to meetings or walk when making phone calls which is really helping them to be healthier and more energetic. I try to conduct some of my meeting with my team while walking in the neighbourhood. It has paved the way for everyone to focus more on their health.

On work-life balance…

Though I really enjoy what I do there are work stresses too. But I balance that with fitness by sport, by reading and very much by family. I have two children and going home to them immediately helps to destress and rebalance my life. I try and get as much time with my children as I can when I am in the city. I drop them to the school bus every morning and spend at least an hour with them after work in the evenings. That’s very important for me. Me and Sabs (Sabina, AD’s wife) are very involved as parents and a close knit family. It’s top priority for me.

Goals and challenges for the next year…

With the pandemic, the Kamala Mills fire, the new GST scheme and some new policies that got passed in Bangalore, it’s been a tough five-six years. We are now looking to grow our company in tier-II cities and internationally. We’ll be opening in Ludhiana at the end of the year and then Chennai. Even our cities have now become multi cities. For instance in Bangalore we are looking at the Whitefield area. That’s not as urban as Bangalore but its growing well. So, we are looking at the multiple cities, of our Metros. Internationally, our first priority is Dubai.

You are a voracious reader. what’s holding your interest right now?

For me, reading is largely escapism. I am currently reading Koel Purie’s Clearly Invisible in Paris. I am also giving Kindle a try for the first time. Scouring through Kindle has opened up new books and authors that I have not read before.