Innovation reinvents
dining tradition

The modern restaurant experience is undergoing a profound reinvention, driven by innovation at every level. No longer just about the food, hospitality today is an intersection of technology, innovation, design, and cultural evolution. The most forward-thinking establishments are redefining what it means to dine out, blending immersive environments, cutting-edge service models, and a reinvention of culinary traditions.

Paul Christie, co-founder of Doppio Zero and Piza e Vino restaurant chains, has brought this thinking to a new establishment in Rosebank, Johannesburg, called Modern Tailors. On the menu:  embracing innovation to craft a dining experience that transcends expectations.

Christie’s journey to Modern Tailors was born from a fundamental insight: while Indian food in South Africa has always been excellent, the surrounding experience often felt formulaic.

“We struggle to get past the experience,” he says. “The food’s good, but the environment is normally quite predictable.”

This realisation fuelled his ambition to create a restaurant that not only delivered on flavour but also introduced an entirely new way to engage with Indian cuisine.

The innovation in hospitality today extends far beyond food preparation – it encompasses the entire sensory experience. Modern Tailors taps into the growing trend of experiential dining, where every element, from architecture to plating techniques, is meticulously designed to immerse diners.

Christie was inspired by a trip to Mumbai, where the vibrancy of Indian street food markets offered a more dynamic approach to dining.

“We put the menu together with a bit of Durban, a little bit of the traditional, and then a little bit of the street food,” he says.

This fusion, combined with a distinctive aesthetic, turned Modern Tailors into a sensation, attracting customers organically through viral social media exposure.

“People just started taking videos, and we got massive PR out of it for free,” he says, highlighting the power of digital engagement in modern hospitality.

Immersive aesthetic

A key force behind Modern Tailors’ unique identity is its designer, Enrike de Villiers, whose creative vision played a pivotal role in crafting the restaurant’s immersive aesthetic. De Villiers brought a deep understanding of how space and ambience influence the dining experience, ensuring that every design choice – from colour palettes to furniture selection – was intentional. Instead of following conventional themes, she was given free rein to experiment, resulting in a space that is visually compelling yet timeless.

 “We wanted an environment that felt fresh and exciting, but not gimmicky,” says Christie. The designer’s approach ensured that the restaurant’s look and feel complemented its culinary philosophy, striking a balance between modern elegance and the warmth of traditional Indian hospitality. The success of this design-forward strategy underscores the growing trend in hospitality where ambience and branding are as critical as the food itself.

Yet, innovation in design is not a one-time advantage – it must be continuously refreshed. Many restaurants with striking interiors suffer from stagnation if they fail to evolve.

“You know that’s not going to last, because the design is going to fade,” Christie acknowledges. This insight has led to a new wave of innovation in hospitality – dynamic adaptation. The modern restaurant must be agile, adjusting its menu and service model in response to customer behaviour and market trends.

A crucial element in Modern Tailors’ success is the role played by Christie’s wife, who brought cultural and culinary insights to the venture. Steeped in the traditions of the Durban Indian community, she had a deep understanding of traditional Indian flavours and techniques, ensuring that authenticity remained at the heart of the menu.

She was instrumental in shaping the biryani offering, originally envisioning it as a slow-cooked, wedding-style dish. However, as the restaurant’s pace demanded a more adaptable approach, she helped refine the cooking process without compromising on taste.

Her perspective helped Modern Tailors strike the delicate balance between tradition and innovation, ensuring that diners felt both a sense of comfort and curiosity.

Another frontier of innovation in hospitality is operational efficiency. Rising labour and rental costs are prompting many restaurateurs to explore smarter formats, including fast-casual models, digital ordering systems, and smaller, highly optimised kitchens.

This shift mirrors a global trend where technology-driven efficiencies – like AI-assisted kitchen management and app-based ordering – are reshaping how restaurants operate. The future of hospitality lies in balancing high-quality, handcrafted food with streamlined, tech-enabled service models.

Amid all these advancements, one of the biggest challenges remains consistency. As much as customers crave innovation, they demand reliability in quality. Christie is keenly aware of this balance.

“The key to the restaurant business is consistency,” he says. “If you make something average consistently, you’ll have a market. If you make something fantastic one day and then tomorrow it’s average, you’re going to lose your  customer.” \

Innovation behind the scenes

Ensuring that innovation does not come at the expense of reliability is a delicate act – one that requires precise execution.

Even behind the scenes, innovation is playing a crucial role. Food preparation techniques, supply chain optimisation, and even ingredient sourcing are being reimagined with the help of data and AI-driven insights.

Christie says something as seemingly simple as the way onions are cut can have a significant impact on the flavour profile of a dish.

The possibility of centralising certain aspects of food preparation is an option under consideration, though it comes with risks.

“I don’t want to lose the spirit of the brand,” he admits, echoing the industry-wide challenge of scaling without diluting authenticity.

Modern Tailors is a microcosm of how innovation is reshaping hospitality. From immersive design to digital engagement, from menu evolution to operational transformation, the industry is experiencing a fundamental shift.

 What Christie has achieved is not just the creation of another dining establishment; it is a pioneering model for what the future of hospitality can be.

The most successful restaurants will be those that understand that dining is no longer just about food – it is about experience, efficiency, and engagement. Innovation is not an optional extra; it is the foundation for survival in a rapidly changing landscape. For Christie and Modern Tailors, the journey is just beginning.

* Arthur Goldstuck is CEO of World Wide Worx and editor-in-chief of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Bluesky on @art2gee.bsky.social.