Making Home Dining an Experience, Entrepreneur Ami Kothari

Ami Kothari believes in the adage that less is more. Having always loved entertaining guests at her home in Mumbai, she started her dining couture company two years ago. Her career as a table stylist is a manifestation of her own creativity and passion for making dining an experience.

“Initially, I didn’t think of pursuing it as a career. There was no business plan as such. It started with me doing a workshop for a group of friends followed by one more for those who couldn’t attend the first one. And the process just continued,” she says.

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Kothari is a Multi-Sensory Educator who has worked with children with special needs for fifteen years. Her experience with children has made her extraordinarily patient; this trait comes handy when one question is asked numerous times during a workshop.

She adds, “Having travelled across cities I realised people are very up-to-date about trends and are willing to experiment and learn. My workshops are a success because I use minimal things and create seven or eight different looks from them.”

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The entrepreneur has a bachelor's in Social Work and a master’s degree in the Arts and has always been creatively inclined but not business-minded. The first nine months she didn’t have a Facebook channel or a company logo and branding ready. In the day and age of social media, it was good word of mouth she attributes her initial success to. Currently, her company provides a range of services from restaurants to weddings and various other events.

“It has been a smooth road so far,” admits Kothari who has organised numerous workshops in India and abroad. She again reiterates how one need not splurge on excessively expensive items to entertain guests at home.

“First, think of the person you’d be hosting and personalise the décor according to their sensibilities. In my workshops, I show people how they can even use items from their previous Diwali celebrations while setting up their dining tables. A few things go a long way making it a special treat for the other person.”